Syracuse Star Michael Gbinije Is College Basketball's Hottest Player Right Now

Early in the 2014-15 season, Michael Gbinije was playing abhorrent basketball for Syracuse. He would dribble into double teams, make unforced errors and play out of position defensively. He would average just six points through his first five games while shooting 34 percent. In two of those contests Gbinije would finish with as many points as turnovers. Jim Boeheim even made it a point in one of his postgame press conferences to emphasize how paramount it would be for the team’s success to get Gbinije on track.

That all changed when Gbinije dramatically increased his level of play in a late December road game at Villanova. From then on, he has scored in double figures in 14 out of 16 games. Over his last six, Gbinije has played about as well as anyone in the nation. The “G” in his last name is silent, but recently, nothing about his play has been.

How great must it feel to go out and score 27 points, playing the best game of your career against your former team? Gbinije did just that on Saturday, connecting on five threes in the first half alone against Duke. It hasn’t been just one performance though for Gbinije, nor has he only contributed in the scoring department. To go along with his 123 points in his last six games, Gbinije has also produced 29 assists, 28 rebounds and 15 steals. Nobody has stuffed the stat sheet like that at Syracuse since Michael Carter-Williams.

Frequently being referred to by his nickname “Silent G,” Gbinije is the ultimate utility man — there hasn’t been a game this season where he hasn’t recorded at least one point, one rebound and one assist. Gbinije does so many things well on the court for Boeheim. A natural forward, the redshirt junior has been asked to play the point guard during his time at Syracuse. Reluctant initially, Gbinije now flourishes in that role, showcasing his dexterity in one-on-one and pick-and-roll situations. The 6-foot-7 point-forward has supreme quickness and strength going to the hole, making him a tough matchup for opposing teams.

Throw in a game-winning shot while averaging 20.5 points, 4.8 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game over the last six contests (against three top 15 teams) and that makes Gbinije the hottest player in college basketball right now.

James Szuba is a college basketball writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JamesSzuba.