NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Nebraska of last decade

5. Mike Gesell – Iowa

Considering a top 100 prospect back in 2012, Gesell was a 6’2 guard from South Sioux City who found his way into the Big Ten at Iowa. One of the state’s best recruits, Gesell was a talented point guard who started nearly all of the 134 games he played for the Hawkeyes across the next four seasons. He was never the scoring champ, but he was a potent ball distributor and important piece on some successful Iowa teams.

Gesell averaged around 8 points per game in each of his four seasons, but his assist numbers really took off as his career progressed. He helped lead Iowa to the NIT title game as a freshman before three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including a 15-point, 6-assist effort in an opening-round win over Davidson in 2015. By senior year, he was averaging 8.1 points and 6.2 assists per game.

He ranked among the national leaders in assists for that senior year, with that single season the most ever in Iowa history. Gesell was a plus defender and ball distributor who wasn’t as flashy a player as teammates like Peter Jok or Jarrod Uthoff, but who had an important role on this Hawkeyes roster. He played briefly overseas in Denmark after his collegiate career, though he’s clearly still got that place in Iowa history.