By: Jordan McAlpine, Reporter
OMAHA, Neb.- It hasn’t been the year anybody on the Omaha men’s basketball team expected coming into the 2021-22 season. With the addition of a couple talented transfers and the Mavericks returning depth, there was an added intrigue heading into the winter.
However, the Mavericks finished the regular season with a 5-24 record, including a 4-14 record in Summit League play. When you dig beyond those wins and losses though, there has been one big positive. The play of freshman forward Frankie Fidler.
“We haven’t had the wins we thought we’d have coming into the season, but you have to give it to Frankie being a freshman,” said Omaha head coach Derrin Hansen. “He’s really overcome a lot of adversity that the team has had. He’s done a fantastic job of learning along the way and he’s just developed all the time.”
A self-described versatile player who brings an ‘all-around game’ to the court, Fidler finished the regular season with a team-high 340 points. He also constantly came through in the clutch down the stretch.
Fidler had a buzzer-beater in the Mavericks’ Jan. 29 home win over UMKC and another one in the home finale against Denver. Fidler also scored the game’s final 11 points in that win over Denver and was featured on ESPN that night for his performance.
Hansen said the 6-foot-7 forward is one of the first players on the court every day and is constantly working, so it hasn’t been surprising to see Fidler adjust so well to the college game.
A Bellevue West product, the Omaha coaching staff didn’t get to see him play much before his senior season. They also couldn’t attend games during his senior season because of COVID-19 protocols. In what Hansen described as one of the ‘strangest recruitments’ he’s ever been a part of, the Mavericks 17-year head coach added Fidler was one of the players he’s been most excited to see arrive on campus.
“A lot of texts, a lot of emails, a lot of phone calls, and very little face-to-face contact,” Hansen said of the recruiting process. “But there was a lot of excitement to get Frankie here and he’s a big part of this program.”
From Fidler’s standpoint, the feeling is mutual. He’s happy to be playing in his backyard as well.
“Playing in my hometown was a big part,” Fidler said of why he chose to be a Maverick. “The coaches were so friendly to me and we have a great relationship right now, but that was built before I even got on campus.”
With 28 games now under his belt, Fidler feels his confidence only grew throughout the season. That was especially noticeable towards the end of the regular season as Fidler nailed the pair of buzzer-beaters and scored a career-high 35 points at North Dakota.
His head coach noticed too.
“He does have a lot of confidence,” Hansen said. “He shoots it well, he can bounce it and get to spots, he can finish around the rim, he’s cerebral, and he’s a good passer. He’s a good team player and he does all the things that you’re looking for. For him to do that as a freshman, even though we’re a young team, but to do that as the only true freshman on our team I think is remarkable.”
Now it’s about finding consistency and confidence as a team.
Fidler and the Mavericks will face top-seeded South Dakota State, on Saturday, March 6, in the Summit League Tournament. The Mavericks head to Sioux Falls as the No. 8 seed. However, they’ll be trying for an upset win and looking to keep their season alive. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
