Frankie Fidler is Tom Izzo's First Transfer Portal Acquisition Since Tyson Walker

The Michigan State men's basketball program had not brought in a transfer since 2021.

New Michigan State forward Frankie Fidler has been the talk of the week in the Spartan basketball community, and rightfully so.

Fidler's commitment to Coach Tom Izzo and his program has been the first bright spot of the Spartans' offseason after the team lost several players from last season's roster.

What makes the acquisition so significant, though, is that Fidler is Michigan State's first transfer commit since former Spartan guard Tyson Walker in 2021.

Walker, of course, just wrapped up his career with the Spartans, an admirable three-year stint. He led Michigan State in scoring in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons and was named to the 2022-23 All-Big Ten Second Team.

Izzo landed Walker as a junior after he played his first two collegiate seasons at Northeastern University. In his final campaign with the Huskies, Walker was named the Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year, a member of the All-CAA First Team and a finalist for the Lou Henson Award, awarded annually to the nation's top mid-major player.

Izzo has become rather notorious for his displeasure with the transfer portal and his lack of recruiting activity when the portal rolls around. Despite his success as the greatest coach in the program's history, fans had grown a bit restless with the two years of no portal additions.

Perhaps that whole narrative can be laid to rest for the time being, as Fidler's arrival has sparked some hope within a fanbase that has witnessed what was once a yearly tournament shoo-in become a borderline bubble team in recent years.

The rest of the Big Ten has prospered since the portal came into play in 2018. The Spartans' arch-rival, Michigan, for instance, has added over a handful of transfers since the arrival of its new coach, Dusty May.

Izzo and his staff have proven through the years that they can compete with the conference through by developing in-house players, but there comes a point where you need to give in to the latest trends.

Fidler joins the Spartans fresh off a career season at the University of Nebraska Omaha, where he led the Mavericks with 20.1 points per game and 6.8 rebounds.

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