Michael Gbinije
Michael Gbinije led Syracuse to an improbable Battle 4 Atlantis championship as the Orange defeated Charlotte, Connecticut, and Texas A&M in the process. The Richmond, Virginia native has been named NetScouts Basketball’s National Player of the Week for games from November 23rd to November 29th.
Gbinije strung together three consecutive strong performances, highlighted by a 26-point showing against Charlotte. He capped the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament with 20 points in a 74-67 against Texas A&M in the championship. On the week, the 6-foot-7 wing averaged 21.0 points, 5.0 assists, 2.7 steals, and 2.3 rebounds per contest while shooting 58.8 percent (20-of-34) from the field and 60 percent (12-of-20) from three-point range.
After spending his freshman year at Duke, Gbinije has put together a nice career at Syracuse. The senior will be one of the top players in the ACC this season and could lift himself into NBA Draft discussion if he continues to play at this level. With Syracuse starting the year 6-0, the Orange have shown that they’ll remain near the top of the ACC standings.
Pascal Siakam
Pascal Siakam posted a pair of double-doubles this week as New Mexico State battled in two overtime games. The Cameroon native has been named NetScouts Basketball’s International Player of the Week for games from November 23rd to November 29th.
The 6-foot-9 forward began the week with a career-high 35 points in an 81-71 overtime win against Robert Morris. He followed with 26 points, 12 rebounds, and six blocks at Air Force, but this time the Aggies fell in on the road. In two overtime games, Siakam averaged 30.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per contest while shooting 64.9 percent (24-of-37) from the floor.
New Mexico State is the preseason favorite to win the WAC, and Siakam could take home the Player of the Year award with this type of production. After earning Freshman of the Year honors last season, Siakam has shown continued growth into his sophomore season.
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