SMU Polish Frontcourt Star Jakub Szumert Arrives in Dallas

DALLAS - Jakub Szumert has officially touched down in the United States, and SMU basketball may have just added one of the most fascinating newcomers in the ACC.

The highly regarded Polish forward arrived Saturday to begin his transition from European professional basketball to the college game.

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At 6-9 and 210 pounds, Szumert gives the Mustangs another long, skilled frontcourt weapon who’s already spent years competing against grown men.

This isn’t some raw international prospect arriving in Dallas with nothing but intriguing measurements.

Szumert averaged 13.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 1.3 assists and one steal for Orlen Zastal Zielona Gora during the 2025-26 season.

He helped the club reach the Polish Basketball League championship series, earned all-league recognition and was named the league’s MVP for December.

That production should immediately grab SMU fans’ attention.

Szumert can score around the basket, rebound in traffic and protect the rim, but his passing and defensive activity make him more than a traditional interior big man.

He has the versatility to impact possessions without needing the offense built entirely around him.

His international resume is just as impressive.

Playing for Poland at the 2025 FIBA U20 EuroBasket tournament, Szumert averaged 13.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, three assists, 2.5 blocks and 1.2 steals.

Poland finished 4-3, while Szumert established himself as one of the competition’s most productive two-way forwards.

Now comes the adjustment.

The speed of ACC basketball, college spacing and the physical demands of an American schedule will test him.

But unlike many freshmen, Szumert won’t arrive shocked by contact, pressure or high-level competition.

SMU didn’t recruit him as a long-term project.

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The Mustangs brought him across the Atlantic because he can help immediately.

His arrival gives the program another potential difference-maker and another reason opponents shouldn’t take SMU’s frontcourt lightly.