Connect with us

Michigan

Former Longwood, Utah State center Szymon Zapala transfers to Michigan State basketball

Published

on

Former Longwood, Utah State center Szymon Zapala transfers to Michigan State basketball


Michigan State basketball fans rejoice: Tom Izzo has landed a big man in the transfer portal.

Longwood center Szymon Zapala announced his commitment to Michigan State Tuesday afternoon. Zapala, originally from Poland, played one season at Longwood after spending the first three seasons of his collegiate career at Utah State. He has played four college seasons so far, but appeared in just 13 games as a freshman.

The addition of Zapala adds height to Michigan State’s big men options. The Polish center is listed at 7 feet and 240 pounds, adding size to a frontcourt that includes Carson Cooper, Jaxon Kohler, Xavier Booker and incoming freshman Jesse McCulloch.

Advertisement

As a senior at Longwood, Zapala averaged 9.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and just under a block per game in 35 appearances averaging 16.8 minutes per game. He primarily played inside the arc on offense and shot 62.9% from the field while attempting just three 3s, making two. Zapala was a part of a Longwood team that won the Big South conference tournament to reach the NCAA tournament as a 16-seed before losing to Houston.

Zapala played sparingly for Utah State during his first three seasons, making 45 appearances for the Aggies. He averaged 1.2 points and 1.3 rebounds in 4.6 minutes per game for Utah State.

He enrolled in Utah State as a three-star recruit out of Poland fresh off playing for the national team in the 2019 FIBA U18 European Championships, where he helped Poland finish second while averaging 7.5 points per game. He also played for Trefl Sopot, a Polish professional team, in the U20 Polish Cup and helped lead the team to the championship.

Zapala is Michigan State’s second addition through the transfer portal this offseason. In April, MSU picked up a commitment from wing Frankie Fidler, who averaged 20.1 points per game at Omaha. Michigan State had two players, Mady Sissoko and A.J. Hoggard, enter the transfer portal. Sissoko committed to Cal, while Hoggard is going through workouts for the NBA draft.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Michigan

Michigan's Newest Lakeside Inn Is Giving Gilmore Girls Traditional, But in the Midwest

Published

on

Michigan's Newest Lakeside Inn Is Giving Gilmore Girls Traditional, But in the Midwest


We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.

From dreamy decor to top-notch amenities, Domino’s “Wish You Were Here” series is your first-class ticket to the most design-driven getaways around the world. Whether you’re looking to steal away for a few days or just steal a few ideas for back home (we encourage both, for the record), check out where we’re checking in.

I was born and raised in the Midwest (specifically outside of Chicago), which means I spent summers exploring Lake Michigan’s shores for family vacations. So when I pulled up to the newly renovated Wickwood Inn in Saugatuck, Michigan, why did I feel like I was suddenly starring as an extra in an episode of Gilmore Girls?

Advertisement

Courtesy of Wickwood Inn

That magic is partly due to the charming town but also thanks to Martin Horner and Shea Soucie of Soucie Horner, their Chicago-based design firm, who bought the 1937 home two years ago and turned it into a modern inn befitting of Stars Hollow.

Vintage desk with four bird prints above

Courtesy of Wickwood Inn

Before the pair could make any cosmetic changes, they first had to consider the building’s history: Since the ’90s, the colonial structure was already a beloved inn run by adored cook Julee Rosso, author of The Silver Palate Cookbook. “When we bought the inn, we were very conscious of [Rosso’s popularity and returning guests], but we also had to make it our own,” Horner says. So instead of taking down walls and turning the 11-room property into a sleek Scandi hotel, they paid homage to the legendary former owner by working in details that were already there, like the art and furniture, which they reupholstered or repurposed. (The bathrooms however? Those were gutted and replaced with new tile and marble.) 

View into bathroom with blue vanity

Courtesy of Wickwood Inn
Wood paneled guest room with clawfoot tub in room

Courtesy of Wickwood Inn

The rest of the inn’s “jewelry,” as Horner calls it—like the bamboo bed frame in the room I stayed in—came from epic vintage shopping trips, Facebook Marketplace hauls, and even Horner and Soucie’s own homes. In fact, no two guest rooms are exactly the same other than the lighting, bedding, and Waterworks faucets. To further keep consistency, they went with a soothing, neutral Benjamin Moore paint palette. (Fan favorite White Dove was their go-to in most areas.) New Vispring mattresses appear in each guest room, too. 

Bamboo bed frame with white bedding and green pillow

Courtesy of Wickwood Inn

In the lobby and dining room, a fireplace and wood-paneled walls adorned with one of Rosso’s original tapestries, create cozy spaces in which to convene before a day spent exploring the area’s wineries and art galleries (prioritize Ox-Bow, trust me). Plus the backyard and screened-in gazebo are the perfect places to sip cocktails or indulge in the lobby’s complimentary chocolate chip cookies. 

Traditional-style room with lamp and chair

Courtesy of Wickwood Inn
Open shelving with bowls and fresh fruit and vegetables on counter

Courtesy of Wickwood Inn

The result almost feels delightfully non-Midwest, and certainly not beachy, even though the inn is just steps from the Kalamazoo River, where you can rent a candy-colored retro boat for an afternoon (highly recommend). Instead, the quiet luxury vibe paired with former Oprah Winfrey chef Rose Duong’s refined menu and the warm welcome from general manager Susan Michele make the whole experience decidedly Midwest. The only thing missing is Luke’s Diner.

Advertisement





Source link

Continue Reading

Michigan

Ferndale man receives first beating-heart transplant in Michigan

Published

on

Ferndale man receives first beating-heart transplant in Michigan


Michigan’s first two beating-heart transplants took place at Henry Ford Health in Detroit recently.

Advertisement

On his 58th birthday, Ken Miller of Ferndale was given the news that he would be undergoing the first-ever beating-heart transplant in the state.

Now, he is in the process of recovering. 

“I didn’t expect to be feeling this well,” Miller said. “I’m feeling great and blessed.”

Advertisement

Miller had been in heart failure for more than a decade. He spent 25 days in a hospital bed, on a machine, prior to receiving his new heart –and a kidney– on May 31.

“I’m really excited about this outcome and excited about how well this heart worked,” said cardiac transplant surgeon at Henry Ford Health, Dr. Kyle Miletic.

Advertisement

Ken Miller of Ferndale underwent Michigan’s first ever beating-heart transplant on May 31, 2024. (Provided by Henry Ford Health)

Heart transplantation has come a long way.

Generally, a donor heart is good for about four hours, which limits how far away a donor heart can come from. However, the “heart in a box” technology has been a breakthrough – which is a mini heart lung machine that keeps the heart beating.

Advertisement

But still, the heart has to be stopped, twice, before being transplanted.

“We are always very concerned every time we have to stop the heart. Now, it’s inevitable. It’s going to have to be stopped once at the donor hospital to put it on this box, but the problem is we have to stop it a second time,” Miletic said.

Advertisement

That can be problematic. But with the beating heart transplant technique, the donor heart does not have to be stopped a second time; it keeps beating.

“We hooked the donor heart up to his own blood stream. Once it came from the box, his blood was providing that blood and the nutrients to his new heart, and we sewed it in again as it was beating,” Miletic said.

Henry Ford surgeons performed a second beating-heart transplant just last week. That heart came from about 2,000 miles away.

Advertisement

“Despite being the furthest distance we’ve ever traveled – really woke up right away with no issues, and that patient is doing extremely well and has excellent cardiac function,” the doctor said.

The new technique is not only revolutionary for heart transplant patients, but liver and lung patients as well.

Advertisement

As for Miller, he’s ready to get back on his feet and back to his family.

“I look forward to just being able to move, walk, go upstairs,” he said. “All the things we take for granted.”



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Michigan

Storms close Michigan’s Adventure for the day

Published

on

Storms close Michigan’s Adventure for the day


FRUITLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Storms Tuesday morning forced Michigan’s Adventure to close for the day.

The park closed “due to a power outage and inclement weather,” it announced on its Facebook page. It said most tickets for Tuesday will be honored through Labor Day.

“Thank you for understanding,” it wrote.

A line of strong storms swept through West Michigan Tuesday morning, leaving tens of thousands without power. Damage from the storms included downed trees and broken windows at a Grand Rapids post office.

Advertisement

Consumers Energy crews will be working throughout the day to restore power. Some may not have power back until Wednesday, a Consumers Energy spokesperson told News 8.

Michigan’s Adventure isn’t the only West Michigan closure. Some local schools and churches, including many in Kent County, have canceled summer activities for the day.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending