Cassius Winston Named Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year

Rosemont, Ill. – Michigan State senior guard Cassius Winston (Detroit, Mich./University of Detroit Jesuit) was named the Big Ten Conference Preseason Player of the Year on Wednesday at the league's annual media day at the Rosemont Hilton.

Winston was a unanimous selection as the Preseason Player of the Year and was one of three unanimous selections to the 10-player All-Big Ten Team. He was joined on the All-Big Ten Team by MSU junior forward Xavier Tillman (Grand Rapids, Mich./GR Catholic).

He is the second MSU player in the last three years named Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year, joining Miles Bridges, who was recognized in 2017.

The reigning Big Ten Player of the Year, Winston was a consensus second-team All-American, earning first-team honors from The Sporting News and the Associated Press in 2018-19. He averaged a team-best 18.8 points per game and set a Big Ten single-season record with 291 assists. He was also named Most Outstanding Player of both the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Tournament East Regional.

Winston was just the second player in Michigan State history, joining Morris Peterson in 2000, to win Big Ten Player of the Year, Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player, Regional Most Outstanding Player and earn first-team All-America honors in the same season.

He was the only player in the country to average at least 18.0 points per game, 7.0 assists per game and connecting on at least 39.0 percent of his 3-point attempts last season.

Since 1992-93, Winston was one of only 18 Division I college basketball players to average at least 18.0 points and 7.0 assists per game, including one of three players last year (Ja Morant of Murray State and Colbey Ross of Pepperdine). Among that group of 18 players, which includes Denzel Valentine during the 2015-16 season, Winston is one of just six from a Power Six Conference.

Winston was named the Big Ten Player of the Week a school record five times this season (Nov. 26, Dec. 31, Jan. 21, Jan. 28 and Feb. 25). He was also named the Most Valuable Player at the Las Vegas Invitational, averaging 19.5 points, 8.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds in wins over UCLA and Texas.

Tillman, who was named to the NCAA East Regional All-Tournament Team, was the Big Ten Conference Sixth Man of the Year last year. He finished the season fourth on the team in scoring with 10.0 points per game, was second on the team with 7.3 rebounds and led the team with 65 blocked shots. He was 10th in the Big Ten in rebounding, third in field goal percentage (60.5 percent) and was sixth in the league in blocked shots.

Michigan State finished the 2018-19 season with a 32-7 overall record and advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament for a nation's-best eighth time in the last 21 years. The Spartans won a share of the Big Ten Regular Season title, captured the Big Ten Tournament title, beat rival Michigan three times and won the NCAA Tournament East Regional with a thrilling victory over No. 1 seed Duke.

The Spartans open the 2019-20 season on Tuesday, Oct. 29, hosting Albion College in an exhibition game at the Breslin Center. The matchup features Winston facing the team that includes his two brothers, sophomore guard Zach Winston and freshman guard Khy Winston.

The regular season starts on Tuesday, Nov. 5, with the Spartans playing Kentucky in the State Farm Champions Classic on ESPN. The game will be played at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Cassius Winston Named Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year

Players Mentioned

Miles Bridges

Xavier Tillman Sr.

Cassius Winston