Wisconsin likely out of the running for one of the transfer portal’s top forwards
Wisconsin basketball is likely no longer an option for top transfer portal forward Frankie Fidler.
That statement shouldn’t come as much of a surprise after Wisconsin star point guard Chucky Hepburn entered the transfer portal on Thursday. Hepburn was a substantial part of the recruiting pitch — as he and Fidler were high school teammates in Nebraska.
Related: An updated look at Wisconsin basketball’s 2024-25 roster after Chucky Hepburn’s departure
Wisconsin was among Fidler’s final four schools alongside Michigan State, Creighton and Nebraska. The former Omaha wing was scheduled to announce his commitment on Monday but ended up delaying the announcement. Then Hepburn entered the portal three days later. It isn’t hard to draw a connection between the two situations.
Fidler is 247Sports’ No. 64 overall transfer and No. 13 small forward. He’s coming off an exceptional 2023-24 season at Omaha, during which he averaged 20.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists on 45% shooting and 35% from three.
The talented wing is reportedly now leaning toward Michigan State. Though given the nature of the transfer portal, things can change very quickly.
Michigan State is "trending" for Omaha transfer Frankie Fidler, according to an insider. #GoGreen https://t.co/3iD6tnSdZz
— Spartan Avenue (@SpartanAvenueFS) April 18, 2024
Head coach Greg Gard and his coaching staff must go back to the drawing board to find replacements for Hepburn, star wing A.J. Storr and veteran forward Tyler Wahl.
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