Michigan State gains commitment from former Longwood center Szymon Zapala

Michigan State added size and experience in the frontcourt on Tuesday with the commitment of transfer-portal center Szymon Zapala (7-0, 240), who averaged 9.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game for Big South Tournament Champion Longwood University in 2023-2024.

Zapala, a native of Zaborze, Poland, began his college basketball career at Utah State, where he played 45 games in three seasons. With one year of eligibility remaining, Zapala will join a Michigan State front court that includes sophomores Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler, sophomore Xavier Booker, and true freshman Jesse McCulloch.

Zapala is the second transfer portal addition of the 2024 recruiting cycle for Michigan State, which also landed Omaha star Frankie Fidler last month, a wing forward. Zapala is the less heralded of the two transfers, but gives Michigan State a physically mature big body inside that has shown adeptness as a post-scorer as a roll man.

At the mid-major level, Zapala was efficient as a scorer. At Longwood last season, Zapala had one of the highest field-goal percentages (62.3) on his team.

Zapala committed to Michigan State on Tuesday, prior to a scheduled visit to Tom Izzo’s program later this week. The former Longwood center received heavy interest from VCU, Wichita State and Rhode Island prior to making a commitment to Michigan State.

Zapala played an integral role for Longwood University in his lone season playing basketball in the Big South Conference. With help from Zapala, Longwood won at least 20 games for the third straight season in 2023-2024 and earned an NCAA Tournament berth for the second time in the past three seasons under head coach Griff Aldrich.

Zapala started out the season red hot for his new team, before cooling off some. After averaging 15 points over his first three games last season, Zapala failed to reach double figures in six of his next seven games. By the end of his lone season at Longwood, however, Zapala was playing his best basketball.

Zapala was at his best in the Big South Tournament, reaching double figures in three of his team’s four wins on their way to an NCAA Tournament bid. He averaged 13.7 points per game in the conference tournament.

“The special thing for him, which we really cherish and want to promote at Longwood, is development and growth,” Aldrich told the Memphis Commercial Appeal after Longwood clinched an NCAA Tournament bid. “And Szymon’s a great example of that. I think so many people miss this in the transfer portal world, is that guys who haven’t played, they kind of have to get their sea legs back.”

Zapala scored six points and added four rebounds in a loss to No. 1 seed Houston in the Round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament.

Prior to playing for Utah State, Zapala helped lead Poland to a second-place finish at the 2019 FIBA European Championship. He averaged 7.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game at the event.

Zapala averaged 17.9 points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 2.1 assists per game for SMS PZkosz Wladyslawowo during his final high school season in Poland.