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NCAA Basketball: Zion still leads Player of the Year race despite injury

By Brian Rauf

SOUTH BEND, IN - JANUARY 28: Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts after scoring a basket and drawing a foul against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second half of the game at Purcell Pavilion on January 28, 2019 in South Bend, Indiana. Duke won 83-61. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, IN - JANUARY 28: Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts after scoring a basket and drawing a foul against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second half of the game at Purcell Pavilion on January 28, 2019 in South Bend, Indiana. Duke won 83-61. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN – FEBRUARY 24: Cassius Winston #5 and Matt McQuaid #20 of the Michigan State Spartans react after a basket late in the game while playing the Michigan Wolverines at Crisler Arena on February 24, 2019 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan State won the game 77-70. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN – FEBRUARY 24: Cassius Winston #5 and Matt McQuaid #20 of the Michigan State Spartans react after a basket late in the game while playing the Michigan Wolverines at Crisler Arena on February 24, 2019 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan State won the game 77-70. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

4) Cassius Winston, PG, Michigan State

Stats: 19.2 ppg, 7.5 apg
LW: NR

Winston had essentially been written out of the National Player of the Year conversation following Michigan State’s three-game losing streak earlier this month. However, things can change quickly in college basketball, and they certainly have with Winston’s candidacy.

Don’t get me wrong – the junior point guard has been one of the best players in the nation all season long and a front-runner for the Big Ten Player of the Year, yet he lacked the resounding moments and national notoriety to be included at the forefront of NPOY talks.

Winston may have won himself that Big Ten POY award with an outstanding performance over Wisconsin and Ethan Happ on February 2, but it wasn’t until his monstrous 27-point, eight-assist performance at Michigan that he re-entered the national race.

Michigan State has maintained first place in the Big Ten despite suffering a rash of injuries, including to Joshua Langford and Nick Ward. That duo is though to be Sparty’s second and third best players, respectively, so a dip in play was expected when we learned both of them would be off the court for an extended period (or, in Langford’s case, all season).

But that hasn’t happened thanks to Winston. He has been the steadying hand in East Lansing, leading the Spartans on a five-game win streak. They also likely secured their place as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament with the victory over the Wolverines.

Will Winston win the award? Probably not. He probably won’t even finish in the top two in voting. But he has done enough to re-enter the conversation of Zion Williamson’s biggest challengers and be a finalist for the award.

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