Couch: Michigan State, Cassius Winston look to answer doubts raised by U-M on Jan. 13

You can be the Big Ten champion and the No. 2 team in the country. But when you get punked on your home floor the way Michigan State did by Michigan on Jan. 13, questions are going to linger.

Saturday is MSU’s chance to answer them entirely and leave New York knowing for sure that it has the goods to get where it wants to go.

That begins with Cassius Winston, as always. Particularly in Saturday’s rematch against the Wolverines in the Big Ten tournament semifinals in New York.

I hadn’t seen Winston look as ineffective and overwhelmed as he did in the 82-72 loss to Michigan at Breslin Center since early in his freshman year. MSU’s sophomore point guard didn’t just play poorly against the Wolverines, he was outclassed by his counterpart.

Winston wore a look of hopelessness as Zavier Simpson badgered him defensively, took it to him offensively, took him out of everything.

No one since has tested Winston on both ends of the floor like that. And so, for seven weeks, as Winston has become the clear linchpin to MSU’s success, as he’s taken over games in the last couple weeks, the question lingers: Are there matchups that remain kryptonite to Winston and, in turn, to the Spartans?

(Watch as Miles Bridges, Cassius Winston and Jaren Jackson Jr. break down MSU's win over Wisconsin and look ahead to a rematch with rival Michigan.)

Saturday should be telling.

Because seven weeks ago, on their own floor, they weren’t the best team. Start to finish, the Wolverines were stronger, tougher, a more fluid team.

It was an indictment on Winston, who had a season-low two assists in that game. He makes MSU go. He sets the ceiling for this team. When he’s on the floor and at his best, the rest of MSU’s roster, playing off of him, is potent.

But if Winston can’t handle Simpson or other aggressive, determined, two-way guards, MSU’s season will end in heartache. Winston wants a chance to make amends.

“I just felt like I didn’t play up to my potential of what I need to be for this team to be successful,” Winston said of that first meeting with Michigan, after MSU’s 63-60 win over Wisconsin on Friday in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals. “Definitely not that game. On defense or offense or anything. So being the player I am for this team, to help this team the best way possible, I just gotta be a lot better than I played in that game.”

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There are signs to suggest Winston is a different player than he was two months ago — and that he understands he has to be. His last in-game disappearance came at Iowa in early February, when Izzo benched him for nine minutes in the second half. During timeouts during that stretch, Winston stood on the outside of the team circle, not looking surly, but also not engaged.

On the plane ride home, the conversation with Izzo began, continuing in Izzo’s office shortly thereafter.

“He talked to me about becoming that junior and senior guard that those national championship teams have,” Winston said. “He expects a lot out of me. Every team that makes it far in the tournament has that guard, that junior, senior guard who’s been through the ups and downs of college basketball.

“He said, this opportunity that this team has, you don’t get this opportunity a lot.”

Since that narrow, partially Winston-less escape at Iowa, Winson is averaging 14.7 points, 6.2 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 2.2 turnovers and has played at least 34 minutes in four of six games. He hit critical shots in wins at Northwestern and Wisconsin. He’s become MSU’s voice on the court, willing to instruct and bark at teammates, to push Miles Bridges where he needs to be.

“I’ve been getting a lot better at leading people, directing people, giving people advice and stuff like that — and they’ve been listening,” Winston said. “It helps that I’ve been staying solid myself, so now I’m able to point people in the right direction.

“When you’re up and down, you’re focusing on yourself, trying to get yourself back together.”

The Spartans need him taking care of them, not to be lost in his own world or in Izzo’s doghouse.

Almost every opponent from here on will require it. And Michigan, more than they were on Jan. 13, is rolling.

Detroit Free Press reporter Chris Solari contributed to this column.

Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Graham_Couch.