Michigan State Basketball: 5 keys to a 2018 Final Four run

4. Cassius Winston needs to grow up quickly on defense

This one is pretty obvious. Cassius Winston can be a genius with the ball in his hands as evidenced by his 6.8 assists per game and 53 percent shooting rate from behind the arc, but his defense could use some work.

If you only watched the Michigan games this season, you would be led to believe that Winston is one of the major liabilities in the starting lineup. He played his two worst games of the season on both sides of the ball against the Wolverines. Zavier Simpson worked Winston over pretty well and was able to out-muscle him and blow past him for easy buckets at the rim.

That can’t happen in the tournament.

Michigan State’s first opponent, Bucknell, has a solid guard in Stephen Brown who could cause some problems for Winston, but if he steps up, that should put the Spartans in the round of 32. Duke will have Trevon Duval who played well against Cassius in the first meeting. Kansas has national player of the year candidate Devonte’ Graham and Villanova has Jalen Brunson.

Cassius needs to grow up defensively and the Spartans won’t have to worry about extra help at point guard or Tum Tum Nairn playing too many minutes.