NCAA Tournament 2016: 5 Midwest Region Players for Lakers to Watch

2 of 6

Feb 29, 2016; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Syracuse Orange forward Michael Gbinije (0) shoots in the first half. The Tar Heels defeated Syracuse Orange 75-70 at Dean E Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Michael Gbinije – Syracuse

Especially in regards to looking at the senior class in college basketball this season, there aren’t many players quite as intriguing as Syracuse Orange wing Michael Gbinije. The Nigerian National team player spent one season at Duke before transferring to Syracuse and, in his senior season, the guard-forward has excelled in a huge way and he could shine with the Orange in the tourney.

More from Lake Show Life

In the 32 games that he played this season, Gbinije put up 17.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and two steals per game while filling it up with admirable efficiency on the offensive end, hitting 47.7 percent of his shots and 40.9 percent of his attempts from long range. He’s a player that can contribute on multiple levels on the offensive end of the floor, but also has the benefit of being a versatile defender with his size and physical tools as well.

The obvious knock on Gbinije is that he’s going to be 24 years old at the time of the draft, but the Syracuse wing has all it takes to contribute as a role player at the next level. He’ll likely be a mid-to-late second-rounder come the draft, but the Lakers should keep an eye on him to see if he falls out of the draft, if they can get a pick late in the second via a trade, or if they could theoretically reach to take him and not get skewered for doing so.

Next: No. 4 A.J. Hammons

Home/Lakers Draft