When Michigan State took the floor against Ole Miss on Friday night, there was a noticeable absence in the starting lineup that Tom Izzo had reportedly planned out: Szymon Zapala was missing.
Zapala didn't see the floor for the first time this season and while his minutes have been dwindling, it's clear that he's still part of the overall plan. The decision not to play him on Friday due to matchups was planned out by Izzo and agreed upon by Zapala and now the senior big man is refreshed and ready to go against a lengthy Auburn team on Sunday.
The Polish big man is not the only Spartan big who didn't play on Friday, though. For the second straight game, Xavier Booker was held out of the lineup and that, too, was planned.
On Sunday, however, Izzo said that he's planning to play both guys against Auburn.
Tom Izzo says he expects to play both Szymon Zapala and Xavier Booker vs. Auburn.
— Matt Wenzel (@mwenzel2) March 29, 2025
It's a little surprising to see Izzo give away his plans like this because it's not something he usually does, but from the sounds of it, Booker and Zapala will be needed to go against Johni Broome.
Booker may not have had the best sophomore season, but he could be a big piece for the future (as long as he doesn't transfer), and that means he'll need to prove himself in a big game like this. If he can go in, give some meaningful minutes, and help Michigan State get to a Final Four, he could earn himself more minutes in the final two games and set himself up for a huge junior year.
I'm considering Sunday's game an audition for a larger role in 2025-26 for Booker as long as Izzo sticks to his plan of playing him and Zapala and assuming the big man doesn't leave.