Huskers Selected for NCAA Tournament; Travel to OKC to Face Troy on Thursday Afternoon
After a record-breaking regular season, the Nebraska men’s basketball program is in the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three seasons as the NCAA Tournament bracket was revealed Sunday evening.
The Huskers (26-6) are the No. 4 seed in the South Region and will travel to South for the First and Second Rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Huskers will open tournament play on Thursday, March 19 against No. 13 seed Troy (22-11). Nebraska will be the second game of the session and will tip off at 3:10 p.m. (CT) on TNT.
The Huskers are making their ninth NCAA Tournament appearance in school history and the No. 4 seed is the Huskers’ highest NCAA seed since 1991). Two appearances in the last three tournaments marks the first time that has happened for the Huskers since making four straight NCAA appearances from 1991 to 1994.
Under the direction of Big Ten Coach of the Year Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska’s 26 wins matches the school record for wins set in 1991. The Huskers tied for second in the Big Ten Conference with a 15-5 record, setting a school record for conference wins and posting their best conference finish since the 1992-93 season. The Huskers are coming off a Big Ten quarterfinal appearance, as the Huskers dropped a 74-58 decision to No. 17 Purdue on March 13.
Nebraska’s attack is led by first-team All-Big Ten performer Pryce Sandfort, who averages 17.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-7 wing has a school record 113 3-pointers and totaled 13 games with at least 20 points, including a trip of 30-point efforts. Senior Rienk Mast anchors the Husker offense as he averages 13.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game and is a two-time All-Big Ten honoree. The 6-foot-10 forward started on the Huskers’ 2024 NCAA Tournament team.
Redshirt freshman Braden Frager is the third Husker who averages double figures, as the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year is at 11.6 ppg. Senior guards Sam Hoiberg (9.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.4 apg, 2.1 spg) and Jamarques Lawrence (9.7 ppg, 4.0 apg) both were in the Huskers’ rotation in NU’s last NCAA Tournament game.
The winner of the NU/Troy matchup will face the winner of the game between No. 5 seed Vanderbilt and No. 12 seed McNeese on Saturday.