NEW YORK — The Detroit Pistons have selected Michael Gbinije with the 49th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.

The former Syracuse point guard is the second player selected from SU in this year’s draft after Malachi Richardson was taken 22nd overall by the Sacramento Kings via the Charlotte Hornets. Gbinije was initially projected to come off the board in the middle-to-late second round but rose up mock drafts as Thursday neared. In the end, he landed in the latter half of the second round.

In his final season with the Orange, Gbinije scored in double figures in each of Syracuse’s 37 games. He averaged 17.5 points, 4.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game as SU’s point guard. It was a position he had to play because Kaleb Joseph underperformed at the spot.

According to Jim Boeheim, Gbinije made the biggest improvement over the course of his career at SU of any player Boeheim has coached with the Orange. Gbinije’s career came to a screeching halt as he fouled out in a 17-point loss to North Carolina in the Final Four.

At the NBA Draft Combine in May, Gbinije participated in the 5-on-5 scrimmages intended for players that are either fringe first-round picks or worse. He impressed arguably more than anyone who played, seeing time at point guard and shooting guard during the scrimmages.

With Gbinije’s selection, Syracuse has now has two players selected in each of the past three drafts.