They added another elite prospect to their 2016 haul on Friday, when point guard Cassius Winston announced his verbal commitment during a pep rally at his high school.
With the addition of Winston, Michigan State now holds commitments of three of the top 50 nationally ranked players of the 2016 class. Joining Winston in East Lansing next year will be 5-star wing guard Joshua Langford (6-6, 200-pounds) out of Alabama, and 4-star big man Nick Ward (6-9, 235-pounds) from Columbus, Ohio.
With Winston’s build and style of play in how he runs the floor, he will fit perfectly in head coach Tom Izzo’s team-first system as he looks to make a name for himself in the Big 10.
The byproduct of all this?
Izzo could soon bolster his 2016 recruiting class further, ESPN learned, as Michigan State is among the finalists for Miles Bridges, a five-star small forward. There, he played in an open gym with current and former Michigan State players and attended the Spartans’ game against Oregon.
Winston has helped U-D Jesuit to back-to-back state semifinals and averaged 24.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 7.2 assists this past season. “Whatever he wants to do, I hope and pray that’s best for him”.
Playing AAU ball at The Family as well, Winston possesses quick feet and great ball-handling skills, as shown by Prep Hoops TV’s look at his performance in the Storm Classic.
“Freshman year he walked into one of these games and the place just went insane “, Winston said.
“I love Coach Izzo”, Wendi said. I’ve been building a great relationship with him over the last four years so, we’re pretty close now. He’s noted in various scouting reports for being able to score off the dribble and also being a good catch-and-shoot shooter with deep range.
“I sat down with him the other day and talked with him about how much I appreciated him in our program”, Donnelly said. He just doesn’t have the glitz and glamour because he’s not a high-flyer, he’s not a jet offensively or athletically, but very few offensive players that I’ve seen are that intelligent as basketball players.
The youngster didn’t hesitate when asked why he is Izzo’s type of point guard.