Michael Gbinije was a versatile guard and forward at Syracuse University, able to play anywhere from the small forward position to the point guard. He was an outstanding defender at the top of the Syracuse zone, and developed into a outstanding scorer and team leader.

Gbinije transferred to Syracuse after one season at Duke University. He has played nineteen games as a freshman, scoring 33 points. He would redshirt the 2012-2013 season under NCAA transfer rules.

Gbinije moved primarily to the reserve guard position for his sophomore year at Syracuse, due to lack of guard depth on the team. He was the backup to point guard Tyler Ennis and shooting guard Trevor Cooney, occasionally also playing some time at forward. Gbinije was not much of a scoring threat when he was on the court, but he was able to run the offense, and play defense at the top of the zone as needed, giving the two starters a break when needed.

Gbinije would start his junior season as the sixth man; in that role he played more than 30 minutes a game. However, in early December when Tyler Roberson and B.J. Johnson both struggled on the court, Gbinije moved into the starting lineup for the remainder of the season. Gbinije would thrive as the third offensive option on the court. Teams double and triple teamed All American Rakeem Christmas down low, and Gbinije was very adept at driving the lane and taking advantage of the openings. The perimeter defenses concentrated on preventing Cooney from getting the open three point shot, and Gbinije would respond by making a high percentage of his three point shots. There was a four game stretch against Pittsburgh, Boston College, Duke and Louisville that Gbinije shot 13 of 23 from three point range (56.5%), 32 of 50 from the floor overall (64%), and averaged 22.2 ppg, including a season high 27 against Duke.

As his junior season progressed, Gbinije was called upon more and more to run the point guard position, as freshman Kaleb Joseph continued to struggle. Gbinije would handle that role admirably. He would struggle with his free throw shooting for most of the season, working hard just to keep his free throw percentage around 50%. He would find his free throw shooting touch over the last eight games of the year.

Gbinije would continue to improve his senior year. He was moved to the point guard position permanently, and became the unquestioned leader of the team. Gbinije would lead the team in scoring and assists, and was unquestionably their best and most consistent offensive player, scoring 10+ points in every game, as well as their best defensive player. He would rarely take a break from the game, logging more playing time than any of his teammates.

Gbinije was becoming very difficult for opposing teams to guard as he was shooting above 40% from three point range, and was quite adept at driving to the basket. He would have a career high 9 assists in the upset win over #20 Duke down in Raleigh in January. He would have a very special senior night at the Carrier Dome, scoring a career high 34 points while hitting eight of thirteen three point shots in a win over North Carolina State. Gbinije would struggle with his shooting in the NCAA tournament, but he still contributed with his ball handling and defensive ability.

Gbinije was named to the ACC Second Team for his senior year. He was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2016 NBA draft with the 49th overall pick by the Detroit Pistons. He would make the roster for the Pistons at the start of 2016-2017 season, however he would spend most of the season in the NBDL league with the Grand Rapids Drive.

Gbinije's father was a Nigerian citizen which made Gbinije eligible to play on the Nigerian national basketball team. He would play for the Nigerian team in the 2016 Olympics in Rio. He would play in four of the five games, missing one due to illness, and would score 25 points, pull down 12 rebounds and have 7 assists as Nigeria went 1-4.

His last name was pronounced Ben-ih-jhay, and fans nicknamed him 'Silent G' and simply 'G'.

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