But when Larrañaga got to freshman point guard Cassius Winston, he couldn’t find an appropriate analogy in college basketball. He hesitated because there wasn’t a player with Winston’s skill set in mind.

“Cassius Winston for us is a very high IQ basketball player,” Larrañaga said. “Really knows how to play, and get a pass and a shot for himself. But he's most dangerous at finding an opponent and getting the other guys going.”

As Larrañaga struggled to find an accurate match for Winston, he went on to players in the NBA. That’s when the lightbulb lit up.

“Quite honestly, there are not a lot of players in the country that play at that high level of basketball IQ, so we had a hard time finding a good comparison at the college level,” Larrañaga said. “So we used an old NBA player, now retired, named Steve Nash, and said how important it is when Steve Nash played for you to be ready because he could find the open man with brilliance. And we find Cassius Winston to be that kind of point guard.”

When compared to the eight-time All-star, two-time Most Valuable Player and future Hall of Fame point guard, Winston was shocked.

“That’s huge,” Winston said. “That’s a legend in the game and being compared to that, I’ve been compared to a lot of legends. It’s a lot of pressure and a lot of excitement. If I keep working maybe that’s where I can end up. Who knows? It’s an honor.”

Larrañaga isn’t the only one to draw a parallel of that caliber when talking about Winston. Head coach Tom Izzo said Winston undoubtedly has the potential, it’s just a matter of time.

“I think there is some comparisons,” Izzo said. “I’ve said all along, I said when I recruited him I think he’s going to be one of the best passing decision-making intelligent guards that ever played here. And he is going to be.”

Winston admitted there’s still a lot of work to be done until the comparison is totally accurate. His defensive ability has been a work-in-progress all season, especially with setting up ball screens.

After the Spartans disposed of No. 8 Miami, Izzo said Winston played well on the defensive end. For Winston, playing with a defensive edge is the next step in becoming that Nash-like player.

“Of course it starts on the defensive end,” Winston said. “I can’t be a liability on the defensive end, and tonight I wasn’t really a liability, so it allowed me to get in the game, go up and down, get a sweat going, see the game and what was happening. If I can do that then I can make plays.”

Going into Sunday’s game against No. 1 Kansas, Winston scores 6.7 points and shoots 42.1 percent from the field while averaging 20.5 minutes a game. Winston has only started five games this season but has played in all 34 for MSU.

In MSU’s win Friday, Winston chipped in seven points, coming on a layup while driving through traffic, a long range 3-pointer and a pair of free throws. Being a high-powered scorer isn’t Winston’s focus, but he’ll take the baskets whenever he sees them.

“My role on this team is not necessarily to be a scorer," Winston said. "I keep the defense honest, they can’t just sag off me or play off me because I can score the basketball. So to get a shot, hit a three here or there, just to open it out or keep the court spread.”

As Winston continues to mature on the offensive side of the ball he still controls MSU’s pace on the floor, Winston leads the team with 174 assists on the year, giving him an average of 5.1 a game.

Even though there are calls from fans to start Winston over Nairn at the one, Izzo and Winston are on the same page. Izzo said Winston has made leaps and bounds this year on both ends of the court.

The day will come for Winston to find stardom. It’s just going to take time.

“Everybody wants the process to be sped up so fast,” Izzo said. “And you know, as he gets stronger and better and a little more experienced, you know, he’s working on some things. He’s improved. He’s had a great week of practice. So I hope Jim’s right.”