Michigan State University Athletics
Cassius Winston Selected to Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 List
1/9/2019 7:04:00 PM | Men's Basketball
East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State men's basketball player Cassius Winston (Detroit, Mich./University of Detroit Jesuit) was selected to the John R. Wooden® Midseason Top 25, announced on Wednesday night on ESPNU.
Chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts, the midseason list is comprised of 25 student-athletes who are front-runners for the sport's most prestigious honor, based on their performances during the first half of the 2018-19 season.
Winston leads Michigan State in scoring with 18.0 points per game and in assists with 7.4 per game, while adding 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals. He ranks sixth in the Big Ten in scoring and leads the league with 7.4 assists, which ranks No. 4 in the country.
The 6-1 guard has connected on 48.9 percent of his field goals (90-of-184), including 45.7 percent from 3-point land (43-of-94). He is fifth in the conference in 3-point percentage and also ranks 11th in the Big Ten in free throw percentage, connecting on 78.5 percent of his shots (51-of-65).
He is the only player in the country averaging at least 18.0 points per game, 7.0 assists per game and connecting on at least 45.0 percent of his 3-point attempts. Winston has scored at least 20 points seven times this year, including three of the last four games, averaging 21.3 points in that span.
Winston has twice been named the Big Ten Player of the Week, the first on Nov. 26 after MSU won the Las Vegas Invitational. He was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, averaging 19.5 points, 8.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds in wins over UCLA and Texas. The second award came on Dec. 31 after scoring 24 points in a non-league win over Northern Illinois.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2019 John R. Wooden Award Men's Player of the Year presented by Wendy's. Players not chosen to the preseason list are still eligible for the Wooden Award™ late season list, and the National Ballot. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award. Nearly 1,000 voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during early round games. The Wooden Award All American Team™ will be announced the week of the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2019 John R. Wooden Award will be presented by Wendy's during the ESPN College Basketball Awards on Friday, April 12, 2019.
Michigan State, ranked No. 6 in the Associated Press poll and No. 5 in the USA Today Coaches poll, improved to 14-2 overall and 5-0 in the Big Ten with a 77-59 win over Purdue on Tuesday night. The Spartans, who have won nine-straight games, play at Penn State on Sunday, Jan. 13.
Chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts, the midseason list is comprised of 25 student-athletes who are front-runners for the sport's most prestigious honor, based on their performances during the first half of the 2018-19 season.
Winston leads Michigan State in scoring with 18.0 points per game and in assists with 7.4 per game, while adding 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals. He ranks sixth in the Big Ten in scoring and leads the league with 7.4 assists, which ranks No. 4 in the country.
The 6-1 guard has connected on 48.9 percent of his field goals (90-of-184), including 45.7 percent from 3-point land (43-of-94). He is fifth in the conference in 3-point percentage and also ranks 11th in the Big Ten in free throw percentage, connecting on 78.5 percent of his shots (51-of-65).
He is the only player in the country averaging at least 18.0 points per game, 7.0 assists per game and connecting on at least 45.0 percent of his 3-point attempts. Winston has scored at least 20 points seven times this year, including three of the last four games, averaging 21.3 points in that span.
Winston has twice been named the Big Ten Player of the Week, the first on Nov. 26 after MSU won the Las Vegas Invitational. He was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, averaging 19.5 points, 8.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds in wins over UCLA and Texas. The second award came on Dec. 31 after scoring 24 points in a non-league win over Northern Illinois.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2019 John R. Wooden Award Men's Player of the Year presented by Wendy's. Players not chosen to the preseason list are still eligible for the Wooden Award™ late season list, and the National Ballot. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award. Nearly 1,000 voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during early round games. The Wooden Award All American Team™ will be announced the week of the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2019 John R. Wooden Award will be presented by Wendy's during the ESPN College Basketball Awards on Friday, April 12, 2019.
Michigan State, ranked No. 6 in the Associated Press poll and No. 5 in the USA Today Coaches poll, improved to 14-2 overall and 5-0 in the Big Ten with a 77-59 win over Purdue on Tuesday night. The Spartans, who have won nine-straight games, play at Penn State on Sunday, Jan. 13.
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