Michigan State Basketball: Impact of 2019-20 senior class for Spartans

Cassius Winston

To the senior who needs no introduction, Winston has given so much to not only the basketball program but to the university as a whole. He is the main reason why Michigan State has been so successful in the past three seasons. He has had to endure so much off of the court this past season with the passing of his brother Zachary at the beginning of the season. He has shown courage, strength, and so much more than words are unable to fully describe his impact on the program and the university.

Believe it or not, Winston only started five games as a freshman. He came in with three other talented freshmen in Miles Bridges, Nick Ward, and Langford. All four did start a game together until January of their freshman year.

Winston’s best game as a freshman came against the Badgers. He had had 10 points, eight assists, 7 rebounds in the victory over Wisconsin. He really had his breakout year his sophomore year but his first year in East Lansing lead the groundwork for a long-lasting legacy as a Spartan.

In his sophomore year, Winston started every game.  That season, he averaged 18.3 points a game as well as averaging 5.9 assists a game. Winston showed what he is fully capable of when he scored 28 points with five assists in a 20 point win vs. UConn in the PK80 tournament game. He then followed it up with a career-high with 12 assists against Houston Baptist and then set another career-high with 13 assists against Savannah State.

In non-conference play as a sophomore, Winston wasn’t just making a name for himself in the Midwest, he was making a name for himself nationally as one of the best all-around point guards in the country. In the first Big Ten game of the season, Winston put up 16 points with seven assists in the win over Nebraska.

Throughout Big Ten play that season he was very consistent and developed into a team leader as a sophomore. He played very well in a win over Penn State when he scored 15 points with 10 assists in the victory. Winston saved the best for last as he helped Michigan State win the Big Ten regular season title outright when at Wisconsin, he scored 20 points with six rebounds and five assists in the win.

He didn’t have the greatest Big Ten and NCAA tournament performances that season but he was honored for his great play when he was named All-Big Ten Third Team selection by both the coaches and the media. Winston after a good, solid sophomore season looked forward to his junior year.