Top 5 moments of Cassius Winston’s Michigan State basketball career

Does anyone else miss Cassius Winston as much as I do? I don’t think we realized how spoiled we were in the moment to witness his greatness, but I think four years later we now truly realize how amazing he was.

But unfortunately his elite career ended prematurely thanks to COVID-19.

Even though Winston’s Michigan State basketball career was cut short, we still got to witness countless great moments from him throughout his career.

Here are my top five from his storied career.

5. Half-court shot vs. Maryland

Coming in at No. 5 is his iconic half court shot at Maryland during Winston’s senior season.

There was so much significance to this play, so let’s break it down.

When looking at the game itself, this half-court shot to end the first half essentially ended Maryland’s chances at making a second half comeback. This put the Spartans up 11 and gave all the momentum to Michigan State. Could Maryland have mounted a comeback? Sure. But after this shot I knew the game was over.

But this shot had even more significance on the season as a whole. When looking back on the 2019-20 season, everyone remembers Michigan State winning their third straight Big Ten title and being one of the favorites to win a national championship before Covid struck. But it wasn’t always that way.

The Spartans were actually struggling a little heading into this game, and Maryland had a substantial lead in the Big Ten standings. But this shot, and the win that came after it, propelled Michigan State the rest of the season. The Spartans were hotter than ever and Maryland limped to the finish line which allowed the Michigan State to earn a share of the Big Ten championship.