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Michigan State basketball: Starting lineup options for next season

By Mike Phillips

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 31: Aaron Henry #11 and Xavier Tillman #23 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrate a basket 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: Aaron Henry #11 and Xavier Tillman #23 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrate a basket 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) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – APRIL 06: Xavier Tillman #23 of the Michigan State Spartans reacts in the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the 2019 NCAA Final Four semifinal at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 6, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Worst case scenario

  • Point guard: Rocket Watts Jr.
  • Shooting guard: Joshua Langford
  • Small forward: Aaron Henry
  • Power forward: Gabe Brown
  • Center: Xavier Tillman

This would be the nightmare scenario for Michigan State, whose upside as a title contender would be severely capped if Winston decides to turn pro. There is no indication that Winston is considering a jump to the NBA at this point, and mock drafts haven’t even suggested Winston will be a second round pick.

For the sake of going through the exercise, let’s assume Winston goes pro on the belief he will be drafted. This creates a gaping hole at the point guard spot, and the best candidate to fill it could well be incoming freshman Rocket Watts Jr.

Watts is the Spartans’ top incoming recruit, ranked 29th in the ESPN 100, and is a four-star point guard out of Detroit. This fits with Izzo’s bread and butter, getting the best guys who aren’t one and done candidates and developing them into solid starters.

That was also how Winston entered the starting lineup, but he had the benefit of an upperclassman ahead of him in Tum Tum Nairn. If Watts needs to play now, Izzo could use the scholarship freed up from Winston’s departure to scour the grad transfer market for a point guard to help mentor Watts.

Next. College Basketball: Way-too-early Top 25 for 2019-20. dark