Michigan State Basketball: Can Cassius Winston overcome Zavier Simpson?

With a big rivalry game approaching against Michigan on Sunday, can Michigan State basketball and Cassius Winston steal one on the road?

No one outside of Michigan State’s locker room is expecting a Spartan win at No. 7 Michigan on Sunday. There’s a big difference between not believing in this team and just realizing it may not have enough dogs to take to the fight.

Michigan State will be an underdog when these two teams face off in Ann Arbor and that’s likely because of injuries to Josh Langford and Nick Ward, knocking two sure starters and 15-plus point scorers out of the lineup.

But even if Ward and Langford were both healthy, the biggest matchup of the game would take place at point guard between Cassius Winston and Zavier Simpson.

If Michigan State is going to have any chance to win, Winston needs to win this battle and score 15-20 points while being smart with the ball and not turning it over.

However, this matchup is a bigger mental roadblock for Winston than many may realize.

The junior point guard has faced Simpson before and the Michigan point guard has had Winston’s number in each of the past two meetings — actually three dating back to the 2016-17 season when both were freshmen.

Winston’s first-ever matchup with Michigan resulted in a win as he scored 16 points at home, and then a couple games later, the Wolverines silenced him, holding the then-freshman to just three points in a blowout in Ann Arbor.

The 2017-18 season yielded similar results as Winston struggled against Simpson’s elite defense, scoring 11 with two assists and three turnovers. He had a hard time staying tough with Simpson, too, as the Michigan point guard was able to drive the lane with ease and basically bully Winston.

Then came the Big Ten Tournament matchup where Simpson scored 15 with two assists and seven rebounds while Winston had 11 points with five assists and a turnover, but didn’t quite live up to his potential on the big stage.

With Michigan hosting the Spartans on Sunday and Winston looking like the Big Ten Player of the Year, one player stands in his way of running away with that award: Simpson.

If he can finally overcome the mental hurdle and play like he has been all season, the Spartans will keep it interesting and Cassius will regain some of his mojo vs. Michigan back. If he struggles against Simpson once again, it could be bad news for his campaign.

Can he finally overcome the Simpson hurdle? He’s a much improved player this season and won’t have to defend Simpson too closely as he can’t shoot well from distance, but he must rely heavily on ball screens and running himself open.

This is Winston’s chance to prove himself as the best player in the Big Ten and one of the best point guards in the nation, and you can bet he’s watching film as we speak. He’s playing the best basketball of his career, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see him finally break through in this battle of in-state stars. He must get 1-2 minute breathers from Foster Loyer when Simpson sits, though, in order to stay fresh.