Basketball

Michigan State Forward Jaxon Kohler on New Teammate Frankie Fidler

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4 months ago

July 8, 2024

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Michigan State Forward Jaxon Kohler on New Teammate Frankie Fidler

New Michigan State men’s basketball wing Frankie Fidler hasn’t even been with the Spartans for a full summer but is quickly earning the respect of his new teammates.

Respect within a historic, winning program like Michigan State is vital. It’s even more important to earn it from your team leaders.

Fidler has done that.

Michigan State junior forward Jaxon Kohler, one of the few upperclassmen returning to East Lansing this year, recently praised the new transfer wing.

“Frankie, he’s a big 3-man, he plays on the wing, he’s very versatile,” Kohler said at the first week of the 2024 Moneyball Pro-Am. “I feel like he can create shots for himself, but he can also create shots for others. He kind of has a killer mentality, he wants to win every game, and that’s something that all of our guys need.

“And he also brings a kind of experience on our team because he’s kind of the upperclassman. And in practice and everything, he’s a great guy to be around, but on the court, he’s a killer.”

Fidler was one of the best transfers to join the Big Ten this offseason. He comes off a career campaign in which he averaged 20.1 points per game, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. Fidler was named to the 2023 All-Summit First Team.

The University of Nebraska Omaha product finished second in the Summit League in scoring.

Kohler, meanwhile, enters his third season with the Spartans. He averaged 2.0 points per game and 2.0 rebounds in 21 games. He missed the first 14 games of the season after having foot surgery.

That campaign followed a freshman season in which Kohler averaged 10.8 minutes per 34 games.

Fidler and Kohler will both be upperclassmen on this 2024-25 Spartans squad. While each player is different in play style, they could complement each other well on the court together.

Fidler should be a starter on this team, while Kohler’s role, as of now, seems to be up in the air. Coach Tom Izzo is known for relying on his veterans, though, which means Kohler could very well see some impactful minutes this coming season.

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