Michigan State Basketball: Final player grades for 2017-18 season

How can you not love what Cassius Winston brings to the table? If there’s one thing, maybe two, that he needs to work on for next season, it’s his defense. The other would be adding a quicker first step to get around opposing defenders and to the hoop.

Winston, however, had a heck of a season. He was one of the nation’s leaders in 3-point shooting, actually making over 56 percent of his shots from distance in the regular season. Unfortunately, he was just 5-for-27 in the postseason, including 4-of-16 in the NCAA Tournament.

Still, he provided a spark at the point guard position which just wasn’t there when Tum Tum Nairn was the starter. He needs to be able to create his own shots more, but the one instance of him flashing potential greatness was against Connecticut in the PK80 back in November. He took over the game in every single way, dropping a career-high 28 points.

Passing was also a strength of his, averaging 6.9 assists per game. Although he tried to make the home-run play too much, he was still a consistently solid passer.

Moreover, he was an excellent shooter from more than just 3-point land. He made 90 percent of his free throws and shot over 50 percent from the floor.

Michigan State has a bright future at point guard.