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Every business day from now until opening night against Kentucky, we will be posting a staff picks article for a number of topics surrounding Michigan State Men’s Basketball’s 2019-20 season. Each writer on our three-person staff will make their selection along with a short blurb explaining their pick. Today, we start with Team MVP, and one of the answers may surprise you:

• Andrew Brewster: Cassius Winston

If Cassius Winston isn’t this team’s MVP it means that something either went horribly, horribly wrong or that Xavier Tillman suddenly became Blake Griffin over the summer. Winston is the preseason player of the year on pretty much every prediction article across the internet and there is no reason he wouldn’t be our pick here.

Maybe the Tillman-Blake Griffin is a bit hyperbolic because he could easily be a top-10 player in college next year (and a lottery pick in the NBA), but I decided not to overthink this one. Cassius Winston is the best player on Michigan State’s basketball team and the best player in the country. He is the team MVP.

• Wil Hunter: Xavier Tillman

Sure, the expected answer here is Cassius Winston. It’s also probably going to be the correct answer at the end of the season. But allow me to be contrarian for the sake of waxing poetic about Xavier Tillman. Xavier Tillman is an absolute baller. He was a total game-changer for MSU last season when he became a regular starter. He was an incredibly efficient offensive player and a great offensive rebounder. On the defensive side of the ball, he showed great improvement as a rebounder, is already a very good shot blocker and showed an absolutely phenomenal mental game. Tom Izzo doesn’t just toss around defensive comparisons to Draymond Green, but he did it with Tillman this offseason.

Here’s the best part: He’s just scratching the surface. Tillman has a great looking shot and after starting the season 6-15 on free throws he shot 77% from the line from December on, including 81% in Big Ten play. I expect those numbers could inch up, even more, this season. If you don’t know, FT% is a great predictor of future 3P%. Tillman shot 30% on low volume from deep last season and I’m betting that number ends up around 36% on medium volume this season, even with the three-point arc moving back this year. Tillman has a great shot, is going to be absolutely massive in pick-and-roll situations and will be an athletic terror on defense. There’s a reason he went from almost anonymous to a first-round mock draft selection in a month of basketball. He’s really good and just scratching the surface. Maybe he doesn’t end up as team MVP, but I think he ends up as MSU’s best player.

• Lawson Robinson: Cassius Winston

What more needs to even be said? Cassius Winston is a top-tier college PG and will the head of this year’s team. After all, PGs are arguably the most important offensive position on the court. His basketball IQ is off the charts. This year, the Spartans need that IQ. He will be their leader all throughout the year and deep into the NCAA March Madness tournament.