EAST LANSING — On a night when Cassius Winston set the Big Ten record for all-time assists, his Michigan State basketball teammates showed they could win without him.
For while Winston set the record held by Mateen Cleaves, he didn’t do much else right.
Whether tired legs or just plain tired, Winston played without his usual zip and zest, front-rimming most of his shots and mistiming several of his pass attempts early.
He broke Cleaves’ record when he tossed a perfect lob to Xavier Tillman, and in that moment in the second half, as the Spartans pulled away from Wisconsin, it was easy to see what he means – and what he has meant – to this program.