MSU Transfer Forward Named to Prestigious Watchlist
Frankie Fidler's offseason commitment to Michigan State was already considered a huge splash for Coach Tom Izzo and the Spartans, and it seems that move to bring in the highly-touted veteran wing has aged quite well.
With just days before the Spartans officially tip off their 2024 season, Fidler has been named one of 20 candidates for this year's Julius Irving Award, given annually to college basketball's best small forward.
Voting for the winner begins today, Nov. 1.
The list, which was revealed by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Wednesday, is as follows:
KJ Lewis, Arizona
BJ Freeman, Arizona State
Chad Baker-Mazara, Auburn
Tyson Degenhart, Boise State
Cooper Flagg, Duke
Michael Ajayi, Gonzaga
Mackenzie Mgbako, Indiana
Payton Sandfort, Iowa
Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State
AJ Storr, Kansas
Jaxson Robinson, Kentucky
Matthew Cleveland, Miami, FL
Miami (Fla.)
Frankie Fidler, Michigan State
Mark Mitchell, Missouri
Ian Jackson, North Carolina
Drake Powell, North Carolina
Ace Bailey, Rutgers
Arthur Kaluma, Texas
Liam McNeeley, UConn
Tucker DeVries, West Virginia
Fidler comes off a promising outing in the Spartans' exhibition victory over Ferris State in which he led Michigan State in scoring with 14 points.
Coach Izzo knew there was a need for a shooting wing this past offseason. Fidler perfectly fit that description. He would become Izzo's first transfer commit since former Spartan guard Tyson Walker.
"I think it's a compliment towards me that he [Izzo] went after me in the portal," Fidler said at Michigan State's media day. "And I kind of just -- that's how I took it. I took it like a legendary coach going after me, I want to put everything out on the line for him and for this team. So, that's kind of how I approached it."
The transfer wing from the University of Nebraska, Omaha discussed what he hopes to add to his new team way back in July.
"A big thing that I want to bring to the team is wing shooting and just length on the perimeter," Fidler said at the 2024 Moneyball Pro-Am. "Being 6-7 [on] defense and offense is going to be good for us as a team. And I think just taking it up a notch from last year, showing that what I did last year, I can do at the biggest stage as well."
Don’t forget to follow the official Spartan Nation Page on Facebook Spartan Nation WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be a part of our vibrant community group Go Green Go White as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
