Cassius Winston does not seem to be tied to the NBA

TO CLOSE

LSJ columnist Graham Couch, Soviet beat writer Chris Solari and Soviet newspaper columnist Shawn Windsor unveil the defeat of the Spartans
Mike DeFabo and Graham Couch and Shawn Windsor and Chris Solari, Lansing State Journal

MINNEAPOLIS – If the story of Cassius Winston's night is as she was told, then you might have, despite a humiliating defeat, is the precursor of something all the more special as the season's performance that competes with the largest in basketball history in the state of Michigan.

"He was a man, he was a leader," said MSU coach Tom Izzo around midnight after his team failed against Texas Tech in the Final Four. "He gathered everyone in this locker room. Impressive. I was impressed. "

Except for a few moments of emotion in senior Matt McQuaid and sobbing sobs of rookie Gabe Brown, the dressing room of the MSU looks and sounds, but is defeated shortly after its defeat. 51. There is peace to be beaten by a better team and to extract just about all the abilities of your season.

MSU enjoyed this peace Saturday night.

"Last year it would have been a different story," said junior center Nick Ward. "This year, I can lie down with my head up. We played as hard as we could.

"They deserved to beat us," said Izzo. "They were the hardest team tonight. They were right. "

There is no peace in this part.

In a tournament decided by clashes, MSU has run into a terrible: a warm team, with a physical and disruptive style of defense, with strong and considerable athletes and an endurance of adult men.

MSU did not have individual scorers, depth or enough physical strength to counter it. What pushed MSU until then – its connectivity – was not the cure for this game. The Spartans also did not have a playmaker able to resume the match. Not against these guys.

So while maximizing a season can reassure, I can also feel something different from Winston Saturday night: The desire to become the best team next season, to be the dominant player, to be able to counter everything which is projected. you. Be at the test of the matches.

"We're going to use that," Winston said after a 4-on-16 shooting night, with just two assists and four turnovers, ending his junior season. "The freshmen will use that. I will use it when I return to work. "

April 6, 2019; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Cassius Winston (5) reacts after a first-half match against Texas Tech Red Raiders in the semifinal of the 2019 Final Four at US Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports (Photo: Bob Donnan, Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports)

Even when Winston said that he would "sit down and discuss" the testing of the NBA drafting process, he looked like Saturday to be somebody else. One who does not intend to go anywhere. Unsurprisingly, he is aware of himself. He sees the need to become stronger, especially his legs, before the day of the NBA judgment. He paid a price for this season physically. His coaches told him that the entire off-season should aim to strengthen his body. The basketball components he has them.

He also looked like a player with outstanding college deals, who knows he will have the coins around him next season to have a chance to come back to this point. His teammate back Joshua Langford will be able to play his senior season. Aaron Henry appears on the verge of true celebrity. Xavier Tillman is about to play in the NBA too.

"I want to win a championship," said Winston. "I want to do it at all levels. When I leave my mark on Michigan State, I want to be recognized as a winner. You can not do that without this last element. "

Winston impressed MSU a lot this season: three victories against Michigan, a Big Ten championship, a Big Ten tournament championship, a Duke victory in the Eastern Regional Final, a Final Four.

It was beyond what was expected for this season, from the Spartans or him. He has become a well-known name in college basketball over the past six weeks. He would have become a star in the Big Ten a month before.

At one point, he became a leader he never was.

"He is a different personality. He and I are opposite ends of the spectrum, "said Izzo. "I think I'm a little bit in his direction and I think he did a lot in my direction. And I have the feeling that during the off season, he will push his game to a higher level. "

It may have started late Saturday night in a disappointed but determined cloakroom.

"He just spoke to them," We need to learn from what we did not do right, "and thanked everyone for helping him spend the most amazing year of his life, Izzo said.

"He treated her like a magician or a mateen. And I think he still has a lot of things to do. "

RELATED: Couch: 3 quick wins over Texas Tech defeat at Michigan State Final – and next steps

Contact Graham Couch at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ Graham_Couch.