'What it's all about': Huskers ready for March Madness opener vs. Troy
'What it's all about': Huskers ready for March Madness opener vs. Troy
LINCOLN, Neb. - Eight trips to March Madness, eight trips ending in heartbreak or frustration for Nebraska Basketball and their fans - but as the four seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, the Big Red feel the winds of change are set to blow through Oklahoma City.
Head Coach Fred Hoiberg and the four seed Big Red take on Troy in the round of 64.
“We’re really excited to be here in Oklahoma City,” Fred Hoiberg said. “Great arena unbelievable fan base here in OKC and the opportunity to compete at this time f the year, this is what it’s all about.”
The 4-seed Huskers take on 13-seed Troy, the champions of the Sun Belt conference. The Big Red expect a home court feel, but understand it’s not something that doesn’t mean an automatic win.
“It’s exciting knowing we’ll have a lot of fans here, it should be pretty similar to a home game for us, but we can’t rely on that,” Sam Hoiberg said. “We have to show a product on the floor that’s going to get them into the game. We can’t just expect it to happen because they’re here, we have to make it an advantage by playing the right way, executing and making sure they’re into it.”
The Huskers were last in the big dance in 2024, when they saw an opening round defeat to Texas A&M. Rienk Mast says that experienced help prepare him for another round of March basketball.
“Two years ago, first time being here, I was kind of just looking at everything that was happening,” Mast said. “This year, we know what to expect and can focus in on the game plan and that really helps knowing what to expect.”
Picked to finish 14th in the Big Ten to a 4-seed in the NCAA Tournament - Nebraska has gone far beyond predictions and expectations, but Pryce Sandfort and the Huskers have goals still ahead.
“The last thing to do is just get that tournament win,” Sandfort said. “I don’t know about added pressure, but we approach every game the same with the same prep and go from there.”
Nebraska and Troy tip-off at 11:40 CT at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.