Coach Tom Izzo walking onto the court before a game against Ohio State University at the Breslin Student Event Center on Feb. 25, 2024.
It may have taken longer than most hoped, but Michigan State head basketball coach Tom Izzo has made a splash in the transfer portal.
Omaha transfer Frankie Fidler has committed to the Spartans after visiting MSU on April 11, as reported by on3. Izzo and his squad needed size on the wing following the departure of graduate forward Malik Hall, and Fidler fits that bill well.
The 6-foot-7, 200-pound sharpshooter averaged 20.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game on 45 percent shooting from the field as a junior last season, earning a first-team All-Summit League Selection. He will have one year of eligibility at Michigan State.
The Nebraska native will become the first player to transfer to Michigan State since Tyson Walker in 2021. The Spartans were the only Power 5 men’s college basketball team to take no transfers in 2022 and 2023 — the two offseasons most characterized by the NCAA’s new one-time transfer rule.
Fidler entered the NBA draft and transfer portal following his junior season and decided to play one more year in college. He selected MSU over Nebraska, Wisconsin and Creighton.
With the addition of Fidler, a 35 percent three-point shooter over his career, the likelihood of to-be senior guard Jaden Akins sliding into more of a ball-handling role has become increasingly imminent. Last season, the 6-foot-4 Akins spent the majority of the season on the wing.
Michigan State’s backcourt next season will also feature current freshman Jeremy Fears Jr., sophomore Tre Holloman, redshirt freshman Gehrig Normand, and incoming freshmen Kur Teng and Jase Richardson.
What the Spartans lacked in many areas last season — perimeter length, shooting and rebounding — Fidler is a major acquisition for Izzo and his staff.
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