Category: Michigan State

Cassius Winston posts emotional send-off for brother Zachary on Instagram

Cassius Winston lost his brother over the weekend and late last night he penned an emotional send-off to Zachary on Instagram.

This weekend, Michigan State Basketball’s star point guard Cassius Winston lost his brother Zachary. Cassius still played Sunday against Binghamton in what I think may have been the most emotional basketball game in MSU history, despite the low stakes during the game itself. Last night, Winston took to Instagram to give his brother a very emotional send-off.

Cassius Winston never ceases to amaze me, and this post, which was beautiful, enlightening, and extremely powerful brought tears to my eyes a few times. In particular, this section really got to me:

“I love you so much, if I could carry yo pain I would wear it on my shoulders just to see you happy and wouldn’t think twice. I understand it was to much, I understand I really do and yo story won’t end here. I can promise you that, the next time I run into someone in your situation ima save them, cause that’s wha you would want me to do.”

Anyway, you can read the post below:

 

View this post on Instagram

Ima put this on here cause I need you to read it, and I feel like this the best way for it to get to you. I love you bro, w everything I have in my entire body. I love you so much, if I could carry yo pain I would wear it on my shoulders just to see you happy and wouldn’t think twice. I understand it was to much, I understand I really do and yo story won’t end here. I can promise you that, the next time I run into someone in your situation ima save them, cause that’s wha you would want me to do. I wish it was a term that goes deeper then brother, cause that’s what’s you are to me, 1/3 of my heart. And I’m struggling because there is nothing that can replace that Smoothie. I need you, I miss you. But I’m so proud of you, bro you fought every demon w everything you had in you. You went to war w yourself every single day not knowing if you could win that battle. And you won time after time. You stood tall and you let your family love you, you gave me everything I asked for, just one day you didn’t have enough strength. And that’s ok man, that’s really ok, ppl can’t go through wha you went through, you are the strongest, wisest, kindest, most caring person. The best brother/ gang member I could ever ask for. And I wouldn’t replace you or change any single thing about you. Not one. I don’t like doing these cause I feel like they for show, but I need to you to read this Smoothie and I need you to know, that I love you and I care for you. And the only reason I can sit here and still stand is because I know you not in no more pain. The only reason I’m still standing. After that bro we really got beef, and when I see you again I’m beating yo ass. Cause it’s no way you got me out here trying to adjust to life w out you bro. This shit so deep bro we suppose to see all this out together. But we’ll have that convo the next time I see you Smoothie Bean. Rest up my baby and keep watching over us, save me a seat. And when it’s all said and done ima have so much to tell you. You gone already know but ima tell you anyway. Love you Gang member🖤 wish your story coulda had a diff ending, it’s ok tho enjoy it up there. Ima see you soon enough #LuvSmoothie🖤

A post shared by Cash🖤 #LuvSmoothie🖤 (@cassiuswinston5) on

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MSU vs. Michigan: Scouting Report

Michigan State football travels to The Big House to face off against interstate rival, the Michigan Wolverines. Here is a scouting report.

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Michigan State football travels to Michigan Stadium or “The Big House” this weekend to take on their interstate rival, the Michigan Wolverines. This is the biggest game of both team’s seasons thus far. Michigan aims to add another win to their season and Michigan State aims to add some sort of satisfaction to their season.

Here is a scouting report of the Michigan Wolverines:

Shea Patterson

Michigan QB Shea Patterson is quite the enigma. Many wrote him off due to a poor start to the season. Now, some are skeptical even though Michigan boasts a winning record. Note, the numbers are rather favorable for Patterson. He is actually quite similar to a QB that you know all too well.

Through nine games, Patterson has tallied up 1,773 yards, 12 touchdowns, and four interceptions. For comparison, MSU QB Brian Lewerke has put up 2,012 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Interestingly enough, Lewerke does indeed boast a higher QBR rating than Patterson. In my opinion, the QB matchup is dead even.

RB & WR Options

Michigan primarily relies on freshman Zach Charbonnet and sophomore Hassan Haskins. Through nine games, Charbonnet boasts 117 carries for 559 yards and 11 touchdowns. On the other hand, Haskins has rushed for 426 yards and two touchdowns on just 72 carries.

There are a few other RB options that eat on this team, but, Charbonnet and Haskins stand tall above all. Michigan may not always be able to rely on their passing game. Their running game is always a viable option though. So Michigan State must prepare themselves for a battle in the trenches.

Five different Michigan players have 20 receptions or more on the year. This includes WR’s Ronnie Bell, Nico Collins, Tarik Black, and Donovan Peoples-Jones. Nick Eubanks is the lone TE on this list with exactly 20 receptions on the year. Everyone but Bell has tallied up a touchdown. Note, Collins and Peoples-Jones have both recorded three touchdowns thus far. MSU’s secondary has been shaky, to say the least. Michigan may stretch the Spartan secondary thin this game.

Reliable Defense

The Michigan defense is not necessarily outstanding but they are certainly reliable. No team has scored more than 35 points against the Wolverine’s defense. All the while, Michigan shutout Rutgers in week 4. So Michigan State’s offense must execute well without errors. Lewerke and the company cannot cough up unforced errors that lead to turnovers in this game.

Remember, this Wolverine’s defense is not overwhelming. So the Spartans can definitely put numbers on the board. Especially if they run the ball well. Army ran the ball all over Michigan earlier on in the season. MSU must dominate the run game to open up the passing game for Lewerke and company.

The Michigan vs. Michigan State rivalry is still incredibly strong. Both teams want to show one another up. The fan sentiment towards MSU’s coaching staff is already pretty negative. If they lose to Michigan, it will be out of control.

Cheer on the Spartans this weekend. Kick-off is at 12 P.M. and the game is on Fox. Stay locked on SpartansWire for coverage all throughout the weekend.

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MSU basketball steamrolls Binghamton: Three Key Takeaways

Michigan State basketball absolutely steamrolled the Binghamton Bearcats last night. Here are three key takeaways from this game.

Michigan State basketball steamrolled the Binghamton Bearcats yesterday 100-47. This game was fresh on the heels of the emotional passing of Zachary Winston, brother of Cassius Winston. Cassius had an absolutely impressive showing as did a few other Spartans.

Here are three key takeaways from this game:

Cassius Winston Is Truly Special

You really cannot say enough about the talent of Cassius Winston. Excellent ball-handling abilities, premier court vision, and a high basketball IQ. Now, you truly cannot say enough about Cassius Winston the human being. Winston played with his teammates less than 24 hours after Zachary’s passing. All the while, his family was in attendance cheering him on.

Not only did Winston play but he did so exceptionally well. He ended the game with 17 points and 11 assists. Not to mention he had a few highlight-reel moves out on the court. This reminded me of NBA player Isaiah Thomas in the 2017 playoffs. Isaiah’s sister tragically passed away in a car accident. Thomas responded with 33 points and nine assists.

I cannot even speak to the strength Winston showed yesterday. The internal fortitude on display was absolutely impressive. Best of all, the Spartans rallied around Winston. I’ll be honest, I was misty all throughout the pregame ceremony.

Marcus Bingham Jr. Is Here

Marcus Bingham ended last year’s season with 23 total points. Through two games, Bingham has tallied up 20 points. Last year, he ended the season with 21 total shots. Through two games, Bingham has totaled 15 shots. So Bingham’s role has clearly grown from one year to the next.

Bingham is certainly taking advantage of his playing time and opportunities. He already has four blocked shots, 12 rebounds, and one assist to boot. Best of all, he brings so much energy to the game. Hustle points near the rim are absolutely invaluable in modern basketball games. He put up 13 points off of the bench and this type of contribution is huge for MSU. Glad to see Bingham thriving in a more prominent role.

Players Finding Their Groove

Three players stood out in this game beyond Cassius and Bingham. This includes Gabe Brown, Rocket Watts, and Thomas Kithier. Kithier was near the rim at all of the right times. This lead to 10 total points for sophomore Forward from Clarkston, MI. Likewise, Gabe Brown looked formidable and made the most out of his 13 minutes of game time.

Now, I know I’m all on the Rocket Watts hype train but I’m here for a reason. Watts only shot 2-9 from the floor, however, taking more shots is the best game plan. Rocket was definitely intimidated by Kentucky’s strong guard rotation. Against Binghamton, he was smooth and calm. His shot will fall as time goes on. The best thing he can do is to just keep shooting.

The most notable player finding his groove was Aaron Henry. Henry ended the night with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists. Meanwhile, he was guarding almost every position on the other team. Henry needs to do a lot for MSU to go far this year and that is not to discredit the team. Instead, it highlights his importance on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

Michigan State plays next on Thursday, Nov. 14 against Seton Hall. The game starts at 8:30 P.M. and you can watch the action on FS1.

As always, stay locked on SpartansWire for more coverage to come.

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Michigan State women rise to No. 16 in AP poll

The Spartans face a tough test on the road against Notre Dame this week.

The Michigan State women’s basketball team has gotten off to a solid start this season.

The Spartans are 2-0 with easy wins over Eastern Michigan and U of D Mercy. With that start MSU has risen to No. 16 in the latest AP poll. The Spartans were No. 17 in the preseason poll.

Oregon, Baylor, Stanford, UCONN and Texas A&M make up the current top five. Michigan State is the second-highest-ranked Big Ten team being No. 8 Maryland.

After a breezy start to the season the ladies will have a huge early test this week as they hit the road to take on No. 15 Notre Dame–last year’s national finalist–this Thursday.

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Michigan State basketball falls to No. 3 in AP poll

The Michigan State men’s basketball team’s run as the AP No. 1 team was short lived. After losing to then-No. 2 Kentucky in the Champions Classic, the Spartans have slipped to No 3 in the latest AP poll. Kentucky-not a surprise-took over as the new …

The Michigan State men’s basketball team’s run as the AP No. 1 team was short lived.

After losing to then-No. 2 Kentucky in the Champions Classic, the Spartans have slipped to No 3 in the latest AP poll. Kentucky–not a surprise–took over as the new No. 1 team with Duke also jumping the Spartans into the No. 2 spot.

Louisville and Kansas round out the top five.

Michigan State rebounded from the Kentucky loss with an emotional win over Binghamton the day after Cassius Winston’s brother Zachary was killed after being hit by a train.

The Spartans will now travel to take on No. 12 Seton Hall this Thursday in the Gavitt Tipoff Games.

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Michigan State Spartan legend Charles Rogers dies at 38

One of the greatest to ever play for MSU has died.

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One of the greatest to ever don the Michigan State green and white, Charles Rogers has died.

The former All-American was only 38.

Former Michigan State tight end Chris Baker confirmed the news on Twitter this morning.

Rogers starred at MSU from 2000-02. He finished his MSU career with 2,821 yards on 135 catches to go with 27 touchdowns. He also caught a touchdown in 13 straight games. Rogers entered the NFL draft early and was selected by the Detroit Lions with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2003 draft.

Injuries and drug problems kept his NFL career from ever amounting to what it could have been.

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Locked On Spartans Podcast: A wild sports weekend in East Lansing

Wil and Matt recap the crazy sports weekend that was in East Lansing

Wil Hunter and Matt Sheehan talk about the emotional night in the Breslin Center and how amazed they are by Cassius Winston. Then they discuss the epic collapse from MSU football, how Mark Dantonio’s post game comments weren’t good enough and play a game of “take thermometer.”

You can find the episode on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

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