Takeaways, notable quotes, from the first night of the Moneyball Pro-Am

The 19th annual Moneyball Pro-Am kicked off Tuesday night at Holt High School, featuring six different teams that include two Michigan State basketball players in each lineup.

The annual summer showcase will be played on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with games at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm, until the final game on August 1st. There will be no games during the week of July 4th.

To see the full schedule and lineups for each team, click here.

Here are three takeaways from Tuesday’s first night of action at the Moneyball Pro-Am.

Fans get their first look at newcomer Frankie Fidler

Omaha transfer forward Frankie Fidler made a big impression in his first appearance in front of MSU fans in Tuesday’s Moneyball opener. The 6-foot-9 wing scored 32 points for Team Case Credit despite the loss to Team Goodfellas.

Fidler scored the first 10 points of the game, which included two transition pull-up 3-pointers, a fadeaway baseline jumper and a drive in the middle of the paint that resulted in a one-handed tomahawk dunk.

Fidler hit six 3s total on the night and made a shot under the basket that resulted in a goalie call, trying to land a dunk attempt on MSU transfer center Szymon Zapala.

“Everyone thinks of MSU basketball as family, and that’s exactly how my teammates have treated me thus far,” Fidler said. “They showed me the film and how I would fit in with these guys and it seemed like a perfect fit. I can provide that ward score. It will be a physical advance, but I will be prepared this summer for it. “

Fidler, who averaged 20.1 points and 5.3 rebounds in his junior season with Omaha last season, hopes to provide much-needed offense with the losses of Malik Hall and Tyson Walker to graduation and A.J. Hoggard, who transferred to Vanderbilt. Fidler had other options in the Big Ten, but after being surprised on his visit to East Lansing, MSU became the obvious choice for him.

“I wanted to play at the highest level, and when you think about Michigan State, all the championships and Final Fours, it’s the highest level and I wanted to challenge myself to play at a big school,” Fidler said. “So just playing for a guy like Coach Izzo, not many people get a chance to play for someone like that, so that was a big reason as well.”

Team Faygo will provide plenty of entertainment during the Pro-Am

Michigan State sophomore Coen Carr burst onto the scene last year as a freshman, dazzling Moneyball fans with his flying acrobatics and thunderous dunks. Rest assured, based on Tuesday’s second game between Carr’s Team Faygo and Team Snipes, Carr didn’t miss a beat from this jump.

It was the closest game of Tuesday’s opening set, with Team Faygo defeating MSU juniors Tre Holloman and Carson Cooper and Team Snipes 100-97. But it wasn’t just Carr’s dunks that stood out on Tuesday — his five 3-pointers, as well as some exciting plays from freshman Jase Richardson, impressed the crowd.

“My shooting and ballhandling are the two most important things for me that I’ve been working on here,” Carr said. “I’m trying to be on the ball more, not so much off the ball in the corner, and just expand my game. .”

Richardson, who is Carr’s roommate, had several tough shots at the rim and a couple of 360-turnover dunks after the whistle. His combined athleticism with Carr will provide many highlights throughout the Pro-Am.

Team Faygo has some other exciting and bouncy athletes along with Carr and Richardson. Forward Dre Dentmond, who has played in Moneyball for years, used his leaping ability to bury Cooper at one point on Tuesday. Former Lansing Everett guard Shamar Howard is an excellent finisher at the rim, having multiple layups up and down the glass in traffic on Tuesday. Deleon Brown, who played at Grand Valley State, was not in attendance Tuesday but is also a regular feature on Moneyball.

After redshirt season, Gehrig Normand prepared to contribute

Tuesday’s final game featured Team Tri-Star, consisting of MSU junior big man Jaxon Kohler and redshirt freshman guard Gehrig Normand, facing Team Motocars with senior Jaden Akins and sophomore Xavier Booker.

Akins was all over the court, hitting deep 3-pointers and dunking after passing the ball to himself on the backboard. Kohler was fine and appears to be in the best shape he’s been in after a foot injury sidelined him for much of last season.

Normand, however, appears to have made a notable leap forward. He showed off his smooth 3-point shot in last year’s Pro-Am, but the Texas native looked bigger and stronger on Tuesday. He had numerous possessions against Akins where he was able to create his shot and knock it down despite tight defense from one of MSU’s best defenders.

“I’ve been working on my strength and my body to be ready to be physical for the Big Ten and to shoot at a great level, which is what I want to do,” Normand said. “It’s going to be a big year and I’m excited about it. I’m here to make shots… That’s why I came here to win games and play for a coach who wins games. It’s going to be a big year for us and I think we’re going to surprise many people.”

After spending an entire season on the bench last winter watching and analyzing the game, Normand feels he is fully prepared for a big role next season.

“It was a great year of mental experience, I became a lot smarter after a year with the manual being so in-depth and you learn a lot,” said Normand. “It’s a different game, and it was fun to dive into the college basketball experience. It’s crazy, but I love it and I’m totally committed to it. It’s just amazing.”

More Moneyball Pro-Am Day 1 Quotes

Michigan State freshman Kur Teng on his first Moneyball Pro-Am and MSU experience: “We’re always competing and having events like this is just a chance to improve, that’s what we’re always trying to do. It’s been great so far, just getting situated, but my teammates, it’s all love and they’re already my brothers.”

Carr, on who took on a leadership role: “Tre (Holloman) has been great and (Akins) has really worked on his leadership. He’s usually not the loudest person, but he’s been talking a lot more and really helping the new guys, so he’s really taken a big step forward as a leader on this team.”

Richardson, on being one of Izzo’s players, like his father: “Growing up, it always felt like a family bond with them. I feel like he’s going to be a little tougher on me now that I’m on the roster, but I feel like he’s been a good guy for me, checking in and making sure I’m okay, I can come off the bench and help the team at the guard position and be a vocal leader.

Contact Nathaniel Bott at nbott@lsj.com and follow him on Twitter @Nathaniel_Bott

This article originally appeared in the Lansing State Journal: Moneyball Pro-Am: Opening Night Takeaways and Quotes