Michigan Basketball: Why fans should want Cassius Winston to go pro

Michigan State beat Michigan basketball three times during the 2018-2019 season and Michigan Fans are tired of it. Should Cassius Winston go pro, State’s chances of a repeat next year will be diminished.

With the crowning of Virginia as national champion, college hoops fans turn to a favorite post-season pastime, debating which players with remaining eligibility will return and which will go pro. For Michigan Basketball fans, apart from interest about their own players, (particularly Charles Matthews who will almost certainly go, and Jordan Poole and Ignas Brazdeikis, who probably will test the waters but are expected to return), no opposing player commands as much concerned speculation as Wolverine tormentor Cassius Winston of the Michigan State Spartans.

To the casual observer, it should be an easy choice for Cash, given his stellar accomplishments: Associated Press and Sporting News first-team All- American, NCAA Consensus second-team All-American, Big 10 Player of the Year and league tournament MVP, East Regional MVP, and the player that BTN’s Rick Pizzo said was the reason that Michigan State made it to the Final Four.

Naysayers

But surprisingly, many journalists, analysts, and self-proclaimed experts are really down on Winston’s pro prospects. For example, ESPN’s NBA Draft Top 100 pegs Cassius as only number 87 overall and 17 at the point guard position.

And consider these negative opinions:

Graham Couch of The Lansing State Journal when asked about whether there is sufficient NBA interest to justify Winston declaring for the draft:

“The answer, in short, I think, is no-unless Winston grows tired of college or feels he’s done all he can at the collegiate level. Because his measurables aren’t the NBA prototype for a point guard.”

Jon Chepkevich of the Professional Basketball Combine:  “Winston may not have the prototypical frame, quick-twitch athleticism, explosiveness, positional strength, or functional strength that NBA scouts and front office decision-makers seek in a modern age lead guard…Winston most likely projects as going undrafted, but optimistically has an outside chance of being selected in the late 2nd round if everything breaks right.”

Jonathan Adams of Heavy.com: “The biggest knocks on Winston are his size and athleticism. Winston’s lack of athleticism leaves questions as to whether he can defend more athletic players in the NBA. He is also undersized when compared to bigger guards the NBA is preferring to lead their offenses…As it stands now, Winston is unlikely to get drafted if he declared.”

Matt Charboneau of The Detroit News– “There’s a chance Winston tests the NBA waters over the summer, but odds are he’ll be back for his senior season with the focus on getting stronger as his minutes likely won’t decrease.”

What Does Cassius Have to Say?

As for Cassius himself, when asked about his future after the Spartans 61-51 loss to Texas Tech in the national semi-final, he replied: “I don’t know. I’m just enjoying this right now, enjoying my teammates and I’ll sit down and have that conversation when the time comes.” However, some reporters interpreted the way he worked the locker room consoling and encouraging his teammates after the loss as some evidence that he was planning to come back next year.

The Case for Cassius

So, with the thought of helping him make up his mind, here’s the case for Winston to give up his last year of eligibility and declare for the NBA draft.

Most significantly, his numbers for the 39 game season are impressive. He averaged 18.8 points, 7.5 assists, 3 rebounds, and a steal per game. He shot 46% overall, just under 40% from the 3, 84% from the free throw line and had a career-high 2.7 assist to turnover ratio.

Cassius has been described by the observers identified above as “an elite floor general;” “crafty finisher at the basket;” and ”an incredibly efficient offensive weapon.” Coach Tom Izzo thinks Winston can play in the NBA, pointing out that while his floor leader has to work on his strength, “he can go right and go left, he’s got the herky-jerky stuff (and) sometimes that’s harder to guard than just a speed guy.”

Injuries a Concern

Then there’s the risk of serious injury should he come back, which should give him serious pause because it could significantly impair his value.  Although that concern is not unique to Winston, he’ll certainly have in mind the leg and toe issues he played through down the stretch and should ponder the “what if” of a more serious injury. Take for example Missouri’s Jontay Porter, a power forward who was projected as a potential first-round NBA draft pick in 2018, but who came back and tore his ACL and MCL in a pre-season scrimmage and lost his entire season, and undoubtedly some value to pro teams.

As for intangibles, Winston’s a high character guy and proven leader that would fit in on any roster. But does he want to come back and try and help the Spartans win more league championships and the national title that just eluded them? Or does he have lingering resentment from being snubbed by his teammates who voted Josh Langford and Matt McQuaid as Captains this past season? And is he tired of being the constant buffer between the mercurial Izzo and his teammates, having to constantly run interference to protect the younger guys from the coach’s angry outbursts?

Best Wishes Winston

Although it won’t be surprising if Cash avoids the draft for fear of being passed over, my bet is that he comes out with a chip on his shoulder ready to show the pundits that they were wrong and that he is every bit as good as Trey Burke, of similar stature and game, who left early and who has made a nice pro career for himself.

If that happens, Michigan fans can rejoice and just wish the nice guy from UD-Jesuit and MSU good riddance and best wishes.