$Nebraska\'s 5 Most Important Players in 2014 NCAA Tournament$

Nebraska's 5 Most Important Players in 2014 NCAA Tournament

By Zach Morrison

5 Most Important Nebraska Cornhuskers for a NCAA Tournament Run

Nebraska Cornhuskers Tim Miles — The Nebraska Cornhuskers are one of the best March Madness storylines this season. A team that was expected to finish last in the Big Ten, the Huskers finished fourth in the conference. "Nebrasketball" is a true underdog story, led by second-year head coach Tim Miles. They definitely aren't the most talented team, but they play great defense and they don't try to do too much.

5. Shavon Shields

Nebraska Cornhuskers Shavon Shields

5. Shavon Shields

Nebraska Cornhuskers Shavon Shields — A very talented sophomore, Shavon Shields can get buckets. As the Cornhuskers' second scoring option, Shields averaged 12.7 points per game and 5.8 rebounds.

4. Terran Petteway

Nebraska Cornhuskers Terran Petteway

4. Terran Petteway

Nebraska Cornhuskers Terran Petteway — The best player on the team, Terran Petteway is a fun player to watch. He is a high-volume scorer who can create his own shot at will. On the season, he averaged 18.1 points per game while shooting 43 percent from the floor. The only downside to Petteway's game is his assist-to-turnover ratio. He averaged just 1.6 assists and 2.7 turnovers per game this season.

3. Ray Gallegos

Nebraska Cornhuskers Ray Gallegos

3. Ray Gallegos

Nebraska Cornhuskers Ray Gallegos — A three-point specialist, Ray Gallegos is an important piece of the Cornhuskers' team. Of his 72 made shots this season, 51 came from behind the arc. Remarkably, Gallegos only attempted 12 free throws this year. The team's fifth-leading scorer, Gallegos doesn't have to score a lot, but he gets the job done when he's called upon.

2. Walter Pitchford

Nebraska Cornhuskers Walter Pitchford

2. Walter Pitchford

Nebraska Cornhuskers Walter Pitchford — The Huskers' best three-point shooter, Walter Pitchford shot 42 percent from behind the three-point line in 2013-14. Unlike Gallegos, Pitchford also does more than just shoot threes. He averaged 9.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game this season.

1. David Rivers

Nebraska Cornhuskers David Rivers

1. David Rivers

Nebraska Cornhuskers David Rivers — Unlike last season when he played 25.1 minutes per game, David Rivers was able to take a lesser role this year. Rivers played in just 19.6 minutes per game in 2013-14, and he was a key member of the great Cornhuskers' defense. Rivers took just 2.3 shots per game this season, but he averaged one steal and three rebounds per contest.

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Nebraska Cornhuskers

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