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Michigan State Spartans star point guard Cassius Winston has been drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder, and traded to the Washington Wizards in the second round (No. 53 overall) of the 2020 NBA Draft!
STEAL at #53.
— Michigan State Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) November 19, 2020
Cassius is off the board to OKC, to be traded to Washington pic.twitter.com/OAFDqLACpm
Winston — the all-time leader in career assists, not only at Michigan State University, but also in the Big Ten (894) — finished his college career with an average of 14.2 points per game, 6.4 assist per game and 2.7 rebounds per game. He also shot 46.1 percent from the floor, 43 percent from three-point range and 84.5 percent from the free throw line.
It was his junior year in which Winston really took off. The point guard averaged 18.8 points and 7.5 assists per game while shooting 46 percent from the floor. In that 2018-2019 season, Winston was named as the Big Ten Player of the Year, Associated Press first-team All-American, unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selection, Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player, and he also earned numerous other accolades as he led his team to a Final Four appearance.
As a senior, Winston led Michigan State with 18.6 points and 5.9 assists per game, while also averaging 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals per contest. Winston improved his three-point shooting percentage from 39.8 percent as a junior to 43.2 percent as a senior and also increased his free throw percentage from 84 percent to 85.2 percent. He once again earned first-team All-Big Ten recognition by both the media and coaches. Winston also was named as a second-team All-American by the Associated Press and Sporting News. He did all of this through incredible sorrow as he lost his younger brother, Zachary, early in the season.
Other accolades for Winston include being a three-time Big Ten champion, an Academic All-Big Ten honoree, a member of the Big Ten All-Decade second-team and being part of the 2020 Big Ten Medal of Honor class, amongst many other accomplishments.
Winston will forever be loved in East Lansing. Congratulations, Cassius! Spartan Nation will always be rooting for you.