EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State men's basketball junior guard Cassius Winston (Detroit, Mich./University of Detroit Jesuit) was named a First Team All-American by the Associated Press on Tuesday morning. This is the second first team honor for Winston, who was also selected a First Team All-American by The Sporting News.
Winston was named a Consensus Second Team All-American by the NCAA on Tuesday as well. He earned first team honors from the Associated Press and The Sporting News and was a second team honoree by the United States Basketball Writers Association and by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
The junior guard is averaging 18.9 points, 7.6 assists and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 47.1 percent from the floor and 40.2 percent from 3-point land. He ranks fourth in the Big Ten Conference in scoring, while also leading the league and ranking No. 3 in the country, in assists per game. Winston has scored at least 20 points 20 times this year, has seven double-doubles in points and assists, has handed out at least 10 assists eight times and has dished out at least six in 30 games.
Winston was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA East Regional last weekend as MSU topped No. 1 seed Duke, 68-67, to advance to the Final Four. In four games, he averaged 19.0 points and 7.8 assists, including a 20-point, 10-assist effort in the win over Duke.
The junior guard was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the Big Ten Tournament after the Spartans topped Michigan. In three games, he averaged 17.7 points, 7.3 assists and 4.0 rebounds.
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 40.0 percent of his 3-point attempts this season.
Since 1992-93, Winston is 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 this 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.
Winston is a candidate for several national awards. He is one of five finalists for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award, is on the national ballot for the John R. Wooden Award and is one of 10 finalists for the Citizen Naismith Trophy.
Michigan State, 32-6 overall, takes on No. 3 seed Texas Tech in the second National Semifinal game Saturday night in Minneapolis. Tipoff is scheduled for approximately 8:49 p.m. ET from U.S. Bank Stadium and will be televised on CBS.
