Michigan State University Athletics
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell Photography
Winston, Tillman Named to Watch Lists for National Awards
11/7/2019 4:09:00 PM | Men's Basketball
East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State senior guard Cassius Winston (Detroit, Mich./University of Detroit Jesuit) and junior forward Xavier Tillman (Grand Rapids, Mich./GR Catholic Central) were named to watch lists for a pair of national awards earlier this week.
Winston, a Preseason All-American selection by the Associated Press and Sporting News, was selected to the John R. Wooden Award® Preseason Top 50 Watch List, while he and Tillman were among a group of 50 players to be watched for the 2020 Citizen Naismith Trophy Men's Player of the Year.
It is one of several honors for Winston, as he was named the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year, was one of three unanimous selections to the All-Big Ten Team and was selected to the watch list for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award.
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 was also selected to the Wooden Award All-American Team. Winston 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.
Tillman, who was named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team at conference media day on October 3, 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.
The 6-8 junior was named the Big Ten Conference Sixth Man of the Year and was selected to the NCAA East Regional All-Tournament Team. He averaged 13.6 points and 8.4 rebounds while shooting 61.0 percent from the floor during the NCAA Tournament.
Chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the players on Wooden Award Watch List are considered strong candidates for the 2020 John R. Wooden Award Men's Player of the Year. Players not chosen to the preseason list are still eligible for the Wooden Award™ midseason list, 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 2020 John R. Wooden Award will be presented by Wendy's during the ESPN College Basketball Awards on Friday, April 10, 2020
A list of the midseason 30 team for the Citizen Naismith Trophy Men's Player of the Year will be released in early February, followed by the 10 national semifinalists and four finalists on March 5, 2020, and March 17, 2020, respectively. The 2020 Citizen Naismith Trophy will be awarded in the hometown of the Atlanta Tipoff Club during the Final Four at the Naismith Awards Brunch on April 5, 2020.
The Spartans, ranked No. 1 in the country in the preseason Associated Press poll, host Binghamton on Sunday, Nov. 10 at the Breslin Center in the team's home opener. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. and air live on BTN, with Brandon Gaudin and Stephen Bardo calling all of the action.
Â
Winston, a Preseason All-American selection by the Associated Press and Sporting News, was selected to the John R. Wooden Award® Preseason Top 50 Watch List, while he and Tillman were among a group of 50 players to be watched for the 2020 Citizen Naismith Trophy Men's Player of the Year.
It is one of several honors for Winston, as he was named the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year, was one of three unanimous selections to the All-Big Ten Team and was selected to the watch list for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award.
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 was also selected to the Wooden Award All-American Team. Winston 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.
Tillman, who was named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team at conference media day on October 3, 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.
The 6-8 junior was named the Big Ten Conference Sixth Man of the Year and was selected to the NCAA East Regional All-Tournament Team. He averaged 13.6 points and 8.4 rebounds while shooting 61.0 percent from the floor during the NCAA Tournament.
Chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the players on Wooden Award Watch List are considered strong candidates for the 2020 John R. Wooden Award Men's Player of the Year. Players not chosen to the preseason list are still eligible for the Wooden Award™ midseason list, 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 2020 John R. Wooden Award will be presented by Wendy's during the ESPN College Basketball Awards on Friday, April 10, 2020
A list of the midseason 30 team for the Citizen Naismith Trophy Men's Player of the Year will be released in early February, followed by the 10 national semifinalists and four finalists on March 5, 2020, and March 17, 2020, respectively. The 2020 Citizen Naismith Trophy will be awarded in the hometown of the Atlanta Tipoff Club during the Final Four at the Naismith Awards Brunch on April 5, 2020.
The Spartans, ranked No. 1 in the country in the preseason Associated Press poll, host Binghamton on Sunday, Nov. 10 at the Breslin Center in the team's home opener. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. and air live on BTN, with Brandon Gaudin and Stephen Bardo calling all of the action.
Â
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballFriday, October 02
Tuesday, September 22
Monday, March 23
Monday, March 23