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

The 19th Moneyball Pro-Am got underway on Tuesday evening at Holt High School, featuring six different teams that include two Michigan State basketball players on each roster.

The annual summer showcase will be played on Tuesdays and Thursdays with games at 6, 7 and 8 p.m. until the final game on Aug. 1. There will be no games during the week of the Fourth of July.

For a full schedule and rosters of each team, click here.

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

Fans get 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-7 wing scored 32 points for Team Case Credit despite a 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 one drive down the middle of the paint that resulted in a one-handed tomahawk dunk.

Fidler hit six 3s in total on the night and had one drive under the basket that resulted in a goaltending call, trying to hammer home a dunk attempt on MSU transfer center Szymon Zapala.

“Everyone thinks about MSU basketball as being a family, and that’s exactly how my teammates have treated me so far,” Fidler said. “They showed me film and how I’d fit in with these guys and it felt like a perfect fit. I can provide that wing scoring. It’ll be a step up physically, but I’ll get prepared this summer for that.”

Fidler, who averaged 20.1 points and 5.3 rebounds in his junior season with Omaha last season, hopes to provide some 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 blown away 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 is the highest level and I wanted to challenge myself to play at a big school,” Fidler said. “Then, 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 why as well.”

Team Faygo will provide entertainment galore during Pro-Am

Michigan State sophomore Coen Carr busted onto the scene last year as a freshman, dazzling fans at Moneyball with his high-flying acrobatics and thunderous dunks. Rest assured, based on Tuesday’s second game between Carr’s Team Faygo and Team Snipes, Carr has not lost any of that bounce.

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

“My shooting and ball-handling, that’s the two biggest 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. It’s been going really well. I’m ready to play whatever role the team needs me to play to succeed.”

Richardson, who is roommates with Carr, had several tough finishes at the rim and a couple of 360-spinning dunks after the whistle. His athleticism paired with Carr will provide a ton of highlights throughout the Pro-Am.

Team Faygo has some other exciting, bouncy athletes along with Carr and Richardson. Forward Dre Dentmond, who has been playing at Moneyball for years, used his leaping ability to dunk over Cooper at one point Tuesday. Former Lansing Everett guard Shamar Howard is a terrific finisher at the rim, having multiple up-and-under layups off the glass through traffic Tuesday. Deleon Brown, who played at Grand Valley State, wasn’t present Tuesday but is also a regular standout at Moneyball.

After redshirt season, Gehrig Normand primed to contribute

Tuesday’s final game featured Team Tri-Star, composed 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 throwing down dunks after passing the ball to himself off the backboard. Kohler was smooth and looks to be in the best shape he’s been in after a foot injury sidelined him for much of last season.

Normand, however, looks to have taken a noticeable jump. He showed off his smooth 3-point shooting stroke 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 be ready to make shots at a big-time level, which is what I want to do,” Normand said. “It’s going to be a big year and I’m excited for it. I’m here to make shots … . That’s why I came here to win games and play for a coach that wins games. It’s going to be a big year for us and I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people.”

After spending a full season on the bench last winter watching the game and analyzing, Normand feels like he has gotten fully prepared for a big role this upcoming season.

“It was a great year of experience mentally, I got so much smarter after one year with the playbook being so deep and you learn so much,” Normand said. “It’s a different game, and just getting used to the college basketball experience was fun to dive into. It’s crazy, but I love it and I’m fully committed to it. It’s just awesome.”

More quotes from Moneyball Pro-Am Day 1

Michigan State freshman Kur Teng, on his first Moneyball Pro-Am and early MSU experience: “We’re always competing, and to have events like this, it’s just a chance to get better, 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 my brothers already.”

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

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

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

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Moneyball Pro-Am: Takeaways and quotes from opening night