Cassius Winston continues development at Izzo Shootout

EAST LANSING - When Michigan State offered Detroit Jesuit guard Cassius Winston last year, it marked one of the few times in Tom Izzo's career that he and Michigan State had offered a high school freshman.

The list is a short one: Maybe Shane Battier had an offer as a freshman. Maybe Chris Weber. Maybe Marcus Taylor. Timelines and memory are cloudy. It's been that long since Izzo has offered someone so early. And there haven't been many.

Winston's game is that advanced, that sophisticated, that Izzo felt compelled to offer last year. Now, many others are lining up to get involved. With Winston having finished his sophomore school year just a few weeks ago, he's still focusing on his high school team, teammates and summer development during mid-June, at a time of year when players a year older than he are being seen at the NBAPA Top 100 Camp - such as Spartan commitment Deyonta Davis, and Spartan targets such as Eric Davis.

"Many of those things will be happening for him in the future," Detroit Jesuit head coach Pat Donnelly.

Attention on Winston is already high.

"He has had a Michigan State offer, and we got an offer from Michigan last week," Donnelly said. "Michigan has an inner-program rule that they won't offer someone until June 15 of their junior year, and they said they were going to offer him, and they did. He has an offer from Iowa State. Ohio State is very interested. Harvard has offered. And I know they have heard from Miami of Florida and Illinois.

"He will be playing in the Chris Paul elite guard camp this summer, so I think recruiting is going to pick up even more but Michigan State has been very involved since his freshman year."

Those close to Winston say there won't be a decision any time soon.

"He is taking his time," Donnelly said. "He is not in any rush to do anything."

"It's new to us," said Winston's father, Reg Winston. "So we're just taking it all in, getting to meet some good coaches, some good programs."

Mr. Winston is also an assistant coach on the Detroit Jesuit basketball team. He offers a tough-edged combination of father and coach for Cassius from the sideline. During halftime of a game at the Izzo Shootout over the weekend, Reg said something to Cassius, and pointed to the floor. A few seconds later, Cassius was on the deck, doing a set of 10 push-ups. What was the reason for the in-game punishment?

"Not sitting down, checking his man defensively," said Mr. Winston. "Trying to get him to emphasize some defense this summer."

The returns have been positive.

"He is putting in work, trying to put a lot into it," said Mr. Winston.

Last year, Winston averaged 18 points, 9 assists, 7.5 rebounds and 3.9 steals for a Detroit Jesuit team that went 22-3 and lost in the Class A Semifinals to Bloomfield Hills.

This off-season, Winston is showing more muscle definition in his upper body.

"He works hard in the weight room and has developed some strength," Donnelly said. "He has put on some weight. He has developed his perimeter shot. He is a much better shooter than he was last year. And with that added weight and size, he has been a lot more physical going to the basket. So he has drawn a lot of fouls and has gone to the free throw line."

The best aspect of Winston's skill set continues to be his uncanny feel for the game. He makes great passes look easy, with perfect timing - time after time. He may not dazzle you with a Magic Johnson type of feed, but he knows where to go with the ball before he gets it. A source close to the program told SpartanMag.com that Izzo believes Winston is the best passer he has ever recruited, including Mateen Cleaves and Denzel Valentine.

Winston is applying those lead guard skills during the days of mid-June as players have returned to their high school teams for off-season camps and games, while the AAU circuit takes a break.

"We have a lot of new players, talented players coming up from the JV ranks and Cassius is learning our guys, learning what they are capable of doing and where they are going to be most successful when they catch the ball," Donnelly said. "Cassius has taken over when we need him to take over. He is still very unselfish and gets everybody involved. Cassius has done a great job."

While focusing on team building at the Izzo Shootout, the Winstons were also able to take in another visit to campus.

"We scheduled this because we wanted to make sure he came here," Donnelly said. "It's great competition but we also want to give him a chance to get a feel for the campus and get to the know the coaching staff a little better - not that he doesn't know them already. They have established a pretty good relationship."

Izzo personally scouted each of Winston's games during the Shootout, and took the opportunity to touch base with Winston's parents during the event.

"So far Coach Izzo and all the other coaching staffs, they've all been real nice, real good," said Reg Winston.