Couch: Frankie Fidler came to Michigan State to experience winning. He’s beginning to trust that he can be a big part of it.

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EAST LANSING – Frankie Fidler was the toast of the town in Michigan State’s locker room Wednesday night. The moment he sat down at his locker after a spell in the cold tub, he was surrounded by reporters and cameras, eager to hear from him.

That’s not how it’s been most of this season.

That’s not how it was Monday after practice, even after his best game in some time at Northwestern.

“The first half of the season didn’t really go how I wanted it to,” Fidler said Monday, sitting alongside the court in MSU’s practice facility. “But building on the minutes I’m out there, getting my confidence up, (Sunday was) just a step in the right direction.”

Michigan State’s Frankie Fidler signals to count the shot after he scored and was fouled by Penn State during the second half on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.

If Sunday’s performance was a step, Wednesday’s was a leap. Fidler was arguably the reason MSU held off Penn State, 90-85, scoring 14 of his 18 points in the second half, to go with seven rebounds and four steals. He seemed to be in the right place at the right time for offensive rebounds, loose balls and open shots.

“Some other games, I kind of felt like I was in the wrong place at the wrong times,” Fidler said. “But tonight, I felt it was my night, and yeah, the ball was just bouncing toward me.”

Fidler created some of his own bounces, too — with his aggression on the glass, active hands defensively, and looking for his shot, both on the drive and from beyond the arc. After his top-of-the-key 3-pointer fell, giving MSU a 58-51 lead, he reacted with relief that bordered on sarcasm.

“I think I put my hand in my face and pointed to the sky or something,” he said.

If God has had anything to do with his 3-point shooting this season, Fidler might want to try a different religion. His outside shooting struggles have been a big part of his story at MSU, despite working tirelessly on it. He made 49 3s while shooting 37%…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/couch-frankie-fidler-came-michigan-120650150.html

Author : Lansing State Journal

Publish date : 2025-01-16 12:06:00

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