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Nebraska Captures First-Ever March Madness Win in Rout of Troy
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Nebraska entered the 2026 NCAA tournament as a No. 4 seed after completing one of its best men’s basketball seasons in school history.
Despite the program’s strong season, a dangerous No. 13 seed in Troy awaited and the Cornhuskers had plenty of doubters heading into the Big Dance.
It’s safe to say that Nebraska was up to the task.
The Huskers emphatically punched their ticket to the round of 32 with a 76–47 blowout victory over the Trojans on Thursday afternoon. Troy hung in early, but Nebraska star Pryce Sandfort scored 17 of his game-high 23 points in the first half and the Cornhuskers took a 16-point lead into halftime. The lead stretched out to as many as 30 on an afternoon that certainly got away from the Trojans.
Victor Valdes scored 14 points for Troy in the defeat.
Nebraska’s win snapped an eight-game losing streak in the NCAA tournament
The Cornhuskers were previously winless in the NCAA tournament, losing in its previous eight appearances in the Big Dance. Nebraska made its first-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament in 1986, and would proceed to lose in ‘86, ‘91, ‘92, ‘93, ‘94, ‘98, 2014 and two years ago in ‘24.
Nebraska will await the winner of No. 5 Vanderbilt and No. 12 McNeese State in the round of 32, as the program looks to continue to make history with each round it advances.
For Troy, all eyes now on coach Scott Cross and Georgia Tech
Troy coach Scott Cross is considered to be the leading candidate in Georgia Tech’s coaching search to replace Damon Stoudamire, sources told Sports Illustrated’s Kevin Sweeney. Now that Troy’s season has concluded, there’s potential for a deal to materialize quickly. Troy’s former athletic director, Brent Jones, now works in an executive deputy AD role with the Yellow Jackets, so there’s familiarity there that bodes well for a deal coming together between the two sides.
Cross is 125–99 with two NCAA tournament appearances in his seven seasons at Troy.
More March Madness from Sports Illustrated
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Mike McDaniel is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where he has worked since January 2022. His work has been featured at InsideTheACC.com, SB Nation, FanSided and more. McDaniel hosts the Hokie Hangover Podcast, covering Virginia Tech athletics, as well as Basketball Conference: The ACC Football Podcast. Outside of work, he is a husband and father, and an avid golfer.
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