Zapala hoping to provide Michigan State with size, interior scoring at the five

Holt, Mich. – What will Szymon Zapala provide Michigan State during his remaining year of collegiate eligibility?

That question will not begin to be answered until the start of the 2024-2025 basketball season several months from now. During the roughly one month that the former Longwood center has been on campus in Tom Izzo’s program, however, he has impressed teammates with his versatility as a scorer around the basket as well as his desire to make the most of his opportunity to play on one of the biggest stages in college basketball.

“Offensively, I think I bring a lot to the table underneath the hoop, and that is what (Michigan State) emphasized a lot,” said Zapala , who averaged 9.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game as the starting center in the Big South Conference at Longwood University last season. “I keep working on my shot a lot, so that is something that we want to put into my game next year. And obviously I have the size that is needed to play at a high level.”

Zapala’s well-rounded offensive skillset was on full display during the first week of Moneyball Pro-Am games against oftentimes token defense. He showed touch around the rim. He knocked down some mid-range jumpers and even hit an occasional 3-pointer. Against connected college defenses, which he will face in the Big Ten, Zapala will likely find it much more difficult to score on the interior.

Be that as it may, some of what Zapala has shown at Moneyball will translate to the college games. In summer practice, Zapala has shown himself to be a credible scoring presence when matched up against returning Spartan centers according to junior Carson Cooper .

And for his part, Cooper believes that Zapala can provide much-needed scoring on the interior beyond what he and Kohler are able to provide Michigan State.

“Szymon is really good, and I really like him as a person and as a player,” Cooper said. “It is going to be different guarding him every day in practice, and it is going to be good for me. I was guarding Mady (Sissoko) every day for two years, so to have a good change in who I have to play every day is going to be good. He has got a lot of touch around the rim, and he has size, which is good for us too. Ultimately, he gives us more depth.”

How exactly Zapala fits at the center position for Michigan State remains to be seen. Cooper has the size and length to be a plus defender at the center position, but struggles to finish around the rim. Jaxon Kohler , meanwhile, has shown the ability to score inside with his back to the basket, but does not possesses the size of Cooper and Zapala or the lateral quickness of Cooper. Both Cooper and Kohler have taken steps to address weaknesses in their respective games. Cooper has worked hard to develop better touch around the basket, and Kohler is in the best shape of his life.

Prior to playing at Longwood, Zapala spent three seasons at Utah State, where he made a limited impact.  Early on at Utah State, Zapala found communicating in English to be a substantial stumbling block.

“It was horrible,” Zapala said of his English as first-year international player at Utah State from Poland. “It’s not good now, but it was horrible then. We had English throughout high school, but it is different when you learn in school and you are actually in an environment where the primary language is English. When I first came I had no idea what people were talking to me about. I was just smiling.”

Longwood provided Zapala with a fresh start, and he made the most of that opportunity, establishing himself as a major contributor for a team that earned an NCAA Tournament berth by winning its conference tournament. Zapala was a big part of that success as he averaged 13.7 points in the Big South Tournament, scoring in double figures in three of Longwood’s four post-season wins leading up to the NCAA Tournament.

When Zapala entered the transfer portal following one season at Longwood, he had no way of knowing he would have an opportunity to play his final college season at a program as storied as Michigan State.

“I had no idea what was going happen,” Zapala said. “The portal is very mysterious, and there is a lot of stress with that. It is not a great place to be in and I had no idea what was going to happen.”

Zapala has found a program in Michigan State which has surpassed his expectations for a possible landing spot when he entered the portal. What remains currently unknown, however, is whether Zapala can provide the Spartans with what they need at the five beyond what Cooper and Kohler can give them.

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