Who is the national player of the year in college basketball?



This didn’t seem like much of a question in the preseason. Michigan State’s Cassius Winston was the overwhelming favorite to take home the hardware. In a preseason poll of 16 college basketball writers at The Athletic, Winston received 13 first-place votes.



But things rarely go according to form. Winston has had a strong season, averaging 18.9 points per game and 6.3 assists while dealing with the death of his younger brother, Zachary, and a bone bruise in his knee. If the senior point guard continues to play as he did in Sunday’s 87-69 win over Michigan, in which he scored 32 points and dished out nine assists, he may make those preseason picks look smart.



But the Spartans’ slow start to the year, along with some great performances from others around the country, has made identifying the nation’s top player about as confusing as figuring out who’s the best team.