In breaking college basketball news, something you already knew.
Michigan State senior point guard Cassius Winston was among players listed by the official NCAA March Madness Twitter account as early candidates for the 2020 Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year Award.
Joining Winston on the watchlist is Marquette’s Markus Howard, Duke’s Tre Jones, Memphis’ James Weisman, North Carolina’s Cole Anthony and Kansas’ Udoka Azbuike.
Because the Naismith Award generally rewards simple counting stats and doesn’t accurately take into account just how good a player is at basketball or who he or she plays basketball against, Winston was not among the finalists for last year’s award.
Winston average 18.8 points, 7.5 assists and 3 rebounds last season while being one of the most efficient high usage players in the country. He was named the Big Ten Player of the Year and was selected for multiple first team All-American lists.
No Michigan State player has ever won the Naismith Award. Denzel Valentine was named the AP Player of the Year and National Association of Basketball Coaches Player of the Year in 2016. Draymond Green took home the NABC award in 2012.
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