Nebraska has Enormous Amount of Pressure Entering Sweet 16 Against Iowa

The Cornhuskers are in the driver's seat to earn a berth into the Elite 8

Nebraska's Jamarques Lawrence (10) reacts after a basket during a second-round game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament between Nebraska Cornhuskers and Vanderbilt Commodores at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Saturday March 21, 2026. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This time last week Nebraska was facing an inordinate amount of pressure as a No. 4 seed never having won an NCAA Tournament game. It had a home court advantage in Oklahoma City facing No. 14 seed Troy and it flexed its muscles with a 29-point win.

Then, the pressure was alleviated following its instant classic against Vanderbilt that continued the magical ride for the Cornhuskers, but now the pressure is back.

After Iowa’s shocking upset of No. 1 seed Florida, Nebraska will get a familiar opponent in the Sweet 16 with the third meeting against the Hawkeyes this season. Despite splitting its regular season meetings, Nebraska is the favorite to advance to the Elite 8 as the higher seed and with the more favorable matchup and its players know it.

“There was a ton of anxiety with that game,” Sam Hoiberg said on Wednesday about Nebraska’s Round of 64 matchup. “Just knowing that, especially for the seniors, like me and Rienk [Mast], if we didn't get that win, we would have never been able to come back and do it.”

Now, Nebraska will look to do it again after losing by five points on the road against Iowa and surviving a late second half rally to survive in overtime.

“It was nice to get that freed off your back, but every game is super high pressure now,” Hoiberg added. “So, just get back to doing what you did all year and preparing for the game plan and executing the best you possibly can.”

A win for the Cornhuskers would mean either a meeting with Houston in its home city or another Big Ten foe with a berth to the Final Four on the line in Illinois.

“If you get caught up in it and if you get satisfied, you're not going to last very long in this tournament,” head coach Fed Hoiberg said.

“This team will be remembered forever as the first team to get that NCAA [Tournament] win and there's something to that. But at the same time when I ask them after the game, ‘Are you satisfied?’ to a man they say ‘No’.”

Tipoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET (TBS) in Houston, Texas.