2019 NBA Draft: 5 Prospects who have the most to lose in March

Cassius Winston, Michigan State

I’ve looked far and wide for a NBA Mock Draft that includes Cassius Winston, but surprisingly enough, the Big-Ten Player of the Year isn’t listed on any of them.

Nineteen points, and nearly eight assists on 47 percent from the field from Michigan State’s main man definitely deserves a nod to be included into the top 60 players in this years draft, right?

Unfortunately, in a league where NBA teams solely focus on Freshmen to bring onto their franchises, players such as the Junior, Winston are automatically put at a disadvantage. I couldn’t tell you why it’s this way. In my opinion, if you can ball, you can ball. The same standard is applied to Syracuse’s Junior guard, Tyus Battle who puts up the numbers respectable enough like Winston to be put into the NBA draft, but still isn’t considered among lesser players that happen to be a few years younger.

So, why does Winston have so much riding on this NCAA tournament? Well, he represents every upperclassman that wants to stay those extra years, develop into a better player, and then take the leap to the NBA.

If Cassius is to somehow make an even further jump in numbers and impact, and maybe even win a possible elite eight matchup against Duke en route to a national title, he could very well single-handedly erase the stigma that you need to be freshman to follow your dreams of being drafted.