Michigan State forward Frankie Fidler’s first (and only) season in East Lansing did not get off to the start many expected.

Fidler received an opportunity to make the jump from mid-major Omaha to MSU after averaging just over 20 points per game and having been in the starting lineup in every game for two consecutive seasons.

He got a chance as a starter initially, but Fidler was moved to the bench eight games into the season. For any competitor, it’s tough to go from receiving a steady 30+ minutes per game to receiving roughly half that.

Fidler isn't having any of that talk, though.

“I’m really blessed to be at this level,” Fidler said Friday after practice. “Any opportunity I get, I’m taking it with full happiness, full gratefulness. I just embraced it all and I’m gonna continue to embrace everything that comes to me.”

“It’s really hard to (adjust to such a big role change),” said MSU head coach Tom Izzo. “He did really well in the summer. He struggled a little bit in the fall; I don’t know why. I think a lot of guys struggle (with the change). That’s why I said after Christmas is when guys start getting better. I think moving him around, playing him at the four a little bit, where he might have played a little bit more at the college he was at, has helped him to play with a lot of energy.”

Against Penn State on Wednesday, Fidler appeared to put it all together — at least for the 20 minutes he was on the court. He looked a bit like his former Summit League self, flying in for clutch baskets off offensive rebounds, and playing with confidence on his way to an 18-point, seven-rebound, four-steal night.

“It wasn’t his shooting — he was one-for-four from three,” Izzo said about what made his performance special. “It was his rebounding; he had four steals; just played with more energy and that’s probably what he’s got to learn to do.”

The four steals are really the part that both Izzo and Fidler were especially proud. The scoring output is great, but 18 points used to be just another game for him, and improving on defense has been a big point of emphasis for Fidler.

“I think the biggest thing for me coming to Michigan State was that I wanted to improve my defense and I think it’s ... gradually improved as the season goes on,” he said. “I watched some clips from last year (at Omaha) — I was playing no defense. It was definitely good to see me in the stance and continuing to get better at that.”

It’s the same thing Izzo likes to preach over and over to his team: be great at the things that require no talent. Giving 100% on defense and crashing the boards harder doesn’t require that player to be a four or five-star recruit, and it’s exactly why Fidler is starting to gain some traction at the high-major level.

“Man, to see Frankie go off in that game — in a game where we really needed it (was great),” said forward Jaxon Kohler. “He just kind of came out the hero. It was a team effort, everyone had a great game, and everybody was doing their part. But Frankie, he really went to work in that game, and to see him going for boards and putbacks and 'and-ones' - all of us on the bench were just cheering and jumping and screaming."

Kohler believes part of what makes the MSU program special is that all the players are in it for one another.

"Anytime one of us has a great game, there’s not one person on the bench who is getting angry or getting mad or sad," continued Fidler. "No, we are all supporting each other — and seeing Frankie go off in that game was really special and we can’t wait for another one from him.”