Wisconsin basketball’s offseason looked much different at the start of April when it was in strong pursuit of top-ranked transfer forward Frankie Fidler.
The plan: Land the Omaha transfer forward to re-create the wing production lost with the departure of A.J. Storr. A starting five of Chucky Hepburn, Max Klesmit, John Blackwell, Frankie Fidler and Steven Crowl would do well to bounce back from a disappointing finish to the 2023-24 season.
Related: Wisconsin basketball 2024-25 starting lineup, rotation and bench with Andrija Vukovic signing
Well, plans changed. Wisconsin point guard Chucky Hepburn entered the transfer portal on April 18, removing any chance the Badgers had at landing Fidler, his good friend and former high school teammate.
Fidler committed to Tom Izzo and Michigan State a few days later.
The top-ranked transfer recently joined “The Spiro Avenue Show” and discussed the timeline of his commitment and eventual transfer decision:
“My visit to Michigan State blew me out of the water.”
Prized transfer @FrankieFidler_ was leaning toward Wisconsin before a trip to East Lansing changed the tide. pic.twitter.com/QdTTc87Zkh
— Justin Spiro (@DarkoStateNews) June 7, 2024
Here is the quote that Badgers fans would be interested in:
“One of my best friends, Chucky Hepburn, was at Wisconsin at the time, and I really wanted to play with him,” Fidler said. “So, think that connection had me leaning toward Wisconsin. But after my visit (to Michigan State), it really blew me out of the water, and I really enjoyed my time here.”
Fidler had received transfer predictions to choose Wisconsin after that visit. The Badgers were the heavy favorite when Hepburn was still on the roster.
Related: Wisconsin basketball’s finalized 2024-25 roster with Serbian C Andrija Vukovic
We previously broke down the timeline of events with Fidler’s visit to Wisconsin, his delayed commitment announcement, Hepburn’s departure from Wisconsin and the Omaha transfer’s commitment to Michigan State.
Hepburn’s status remains the biggest variable in what became an unfortunate week for Greg Gard and the Badgers.
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