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5 best NBA Draft prospects in the 2018 Final Four

By Ian Levy

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 31:Michigan State Spartans forward Aaron Henry (11) and Michigan State Spartans guard Cassius Winston (5) celebrate after winning the NCAA East Regional Final between the Michigan State Spartans and the Duke Blue Devils at Capital One Arena on Sunday, March 31, 2019. The Michigan State Spartans defeated the Duke Blue Devils 68-67. (Photo by Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 31:Michigan State Spartans forward Aaron Henry (11) and Michigan State Spartans guard Cassius Winston (5) celebrate after winning the NCAA East Regional Final between the Michigan State Spartans and the Duke Blue Devils at Capital One Arena on Sunday, March 31, 2019. The Michigan State Spartans defeated the Duke Blue Devils 68-67. (Photo by Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post via Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 31: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans reacts against the Duke Blue Devils during the second half in the East Regional game of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 31, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 31: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans reacts against the Duke Blue Devils during the second half in the East Regional game of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 31, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

4. Cassius Winston, Guard, Michigan State

Winston, a 6-foot-1 guard for Michigan State, has been one of the breakout stars of this tournament, the kind of player who may be working his way up draft boards by leaps and bounds. He is the primary initiator for the Spartans offense and thrives creating offense for himself and his teammates. In his four tournament games so far, Winston has averaged 19.0 points, 7.8 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals, shooting 40 percent on 3-pointers.

His shooting and creation ability could certainly earn him a spot in the NBA but he’ll need to prove he can beat NBA defenders and stay in front of them at the other end. In a breakdown of prospects in the Big 10 Tournament, Ben Ladner compared Winston to Kyle Lowry but also took the time to point out that Winston lacked the strength and athleticism that made Lowry an outlier. He didn’t make it onto our pre-Tournament Big Board but has a much better chance of making his way into the second round of the NBA Draft than he did two weeks ago.

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