Tom Izzo is losing one veteran cornerstone in Nick Ward but he will be keeping his Big Ten Player of the Year point guard. Naturally, he had plenty to say about his returning star:
“Cassius and I had some great talks after the season. Our relationship has grown throughout his career, and this process has only taken it to another level. I was in full support of Cassius entering his name in the NBA draft process, because I know that’s his dream. But I’ve come to understand that he also has some other dreams. Since the Final Four, he’s been talking about the goals he has both for himself and the team. Cassius is an unbelievably smart player, so he knows that there are no guarantees. But he’s willing to work to improve and better himself and his team for next year and beyond.”
Tom Izzo was also asked about Cassius Winston while watching game three of the Detroit Pistons playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks:
“It’s really big for us. He’s the straw that stirs the drink, he’s had an unbelievable year. I see him getting bigger, stronger, and even better, and that’s good news for us next year, we’ve got a lot of guys back and we’ll see what happens.”
