By Robert Lastella
Robert Lastella will be providing ongoing coverage from Atlanta this week. Be sure to stay connected with Robert at @RLastellaReport on X/Twitter.
The Elite Eight is upon us, and the South regional features a matchup between two storied coaches in Bruce Pearl, his Auburn Tigers, Tom Izzo and his Michigan State Spartans. These two coaches have matched up in the Elite Eight once before, facing off in 2010 when Pearl was the headman of Tennessee and Izzo’s Spartans came out on top in a squeaker, using late free throws to defeat the Volunteers 70-69.
It is tough to draw parallels between a matchup from 15 years ago and the two current squads these veteran coaches have. However, Izzo remembers the game quite well, and there are a few things he thinks are similar between his current squad and the one that knocked off Pearl’s Volunteers in 2010. The biggest being free throws, which, according to Izzo, won his team the game in 2010 and could play a role on Sunday evening once again.
“I think he's got different players. I've got different players. I think he probably coaches a little differently. I probably coach a little differently.
I don't know if there's a lot you can get out of it except what you just said. Free throws are going to be important. It's one of our Special Teams’ things. We kind of dipped for a little while. In the last couple of games, we're shooting better from the line again. Last night there's no question it helped win us the game.
All of those special teams things, out of bounds plays, free throws, free throw blockouts, they matter. I think they mattered back then. We had a couple of big plays that I remember, and they matter now. So those things are the same,” Izzo said.
As Izzo mentioned, the free throws have improved vastly for MSU in the last few games, but so has their ability to get there, as in each of the Spartans past 3 games they have nearly doubled up their opponent in total attempts, something that Ole Miss Coach Chris Beard credited as a reason MSU was able to pull ahead in the sweet 16.
Michigan State has seen an increase in aggressiveness to get to the charity stripe more often as of late and according to Izzo, Omaha transfer Frankie Fidler has been the driving force behind that up-tick in free throws, doing a solid job at getting to the line since early in the season and lately, his teammates have followed his lead.
“I think it's something we talked about this summer and fall. I think in my program we've done a good job of that over the years. We haven't got to the line.
I think Frankie Fidler helped us a little bit early. He was a guy that got to the line a lot. These guys picked up on some of that. There were a lot of times when people made more free throws than we have shot, and now there are times that we have made more free throws than other people have even shot.
So it's helped us. We said we had to be a good free-throw shooting team for most of the year. We were in the 80s. These guys have done a great, great job of getting fouled and then converting those free throws,” Izzo said.
Fidler has served a valuable bench role for MSU this season, averaging 7 PPG and 3.3 RPG and finding a way to make an impact on this Spartans squad despite only playing 16 minutes a game. This offseason, Izzo made it clear to Fidler that he wanted somebody that can make an impact by getting to the free throw line and that is exactly what Fidler did.
Frankie Fidler was the ultimate dynamo in the Summit League, but it took him a while to get comfortable at the Big Ten level.
“In the recruiting process before coming here Coach stressed how he wanted a guy that can get to the line and he stressed how well he thought I would do at that. When I came to the team I wanted to be aggressive, I wanted to try to get to the line as much as I can and help my teammates figure out ways to get fouled as well,” Fidler said.
Although Fidler has jumped into his new role without issue, that role he took on this season was one that was much smaller than he had when he was the star at Omaha the 3 previous years. While at Omaha Fidler played at least 25 minutes per game, averaged double figures, and started 91/94 games across 3 seasons, compared to only starting 7 out of 36 games this season and averaging less than double figures for the first time in his career.
It was difficult to adjust at first, Fidler mentioned; however, as the season went on, he adjusted, and now in what he describes as “win or go home time,” he is willing to do whatever is needed if it means success for the Spartans.
“I think early on, I was struggling more with adapting to it. But, you know, now, after past month or so, I'm fully committed to the role I have right now. And, you know, it's win-or-go-home time. So anything that this team needs from me, I'm willing to give,” Fidler said.
Fidler has served his role quite well for the Spartans, but overall, they’re led by their starting guards, including 4-year MSU veteran Jaden Akins, who’s scored double figures in each of the first 3 rounds of the NCAA tournament. Although Akins is one of the scoring leaders on this team, even he’s noticed the impact that Fidler has made, he mentions that Fidler will be ready for his shining moment Tonight.
“He’s done a great job, you know, just accepting his role and is working hard. And, you know, sometimes he wasn't playing as much as he wanted to, but he stayed in the gym, stayed ready. And I feel like, in a tournament, at a crucial time, he will show that he's ready to play,” Akins said.
Fidler, Akins, and the rest of the Spartans will look to show the world they are ready to play, as they will face off against Auburn at 5:05 PM EST with a spot in the Final Four on the line.
