Which Nebraska Team Will Show up in OKC? Huskers Enter NCAA Tournament With High Ceiling, Thin Margins

Nebraska enters the NCAA Tournament with one of the best seasons in program history and a No. 4 seed awaiting in Oklahoma City. The question now is whether the Huskers that dominated much of the winter — or the team exposed by Purdue — shows up against Troy.

It's been a tale of two seasons for Nebraska, but on Thursday, it'll be the start of another hopeful postseason run for NU. | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Which Nebraska men’s basketball team will show up in Oklahoma City on Thursday?

That question now hangs over the Huskers with the NCAA Tournament set to kick off this week — not because the season has lacked success, but because it has contained flashes of two very different teams.

One version of Nebraska looked like one of the best teams in the country for long stretches this winter. The other looked like the one who walked off the floor frustrated after a Big Ten Tournament loss to Purdue.

The truth probably lies somewhere in between.

It's been a season to remember for Nebraska, but down the stretch, there are certainly games they'd like to forget. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Nebraska enters March with a 26-6 record and one of the best seasons in program history. The Huskers averaged nearly 78 points per game while allowing just 66, ranking among the top defensive teams nationally and second in the Big Ten in points allowed for much of conference play.

However, the loss to Purdue this past Friday served as a reminder of the razor-thin margin between Nebraska at its best and Nebraska when the details slip.

“The game obviously came down to points off turnovers and second chance points,” Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said afterward. “That’s the game.”

Purdue exposed those margins in the Big Ten Tournament, beating Nebraska soundly to the tune of 74-58. It wasn’t close, as the Boilermakers out-rebounded the Huskers 37-29 and dominated second-chance points 19-8. They also turned Nebraska’s mistakes into a 17-5 advantage in points off turnovers.

Purdue out-hustled and out-muscled Nebraska at nearly every turn during their dominating win Friday over NU. | David Banks-Imagn Images

“When you get outscored 36-13 in second-chance points and points off turnovers, it’s hard to win,” Hoiberg said. “You’ve got to find a way to narrow that gap and give yourself a chance.”

The larger story of Nebraska’s season is not the loss itself. It’s how often this team has responded when something went wrong. Earlier in the year, Nebraska surged to national relevance during a remarkable winning streak that pushed the Huskers into the top five nationally. Along the way, they showed an explosive offensive ceiling, including a 90-55 demolition of Oregon in which Nebraska buried 17 three-pointers and forced 16 turnovers.

On that night, Nebraska looked like the type of team capable of making a deep tournament run — the kind of group that could overwhelm opponents with pace, spacing and shot-making.

UCLA is one of several teams lately to make Nebraska look pedestrian at best after their hot start to the season. | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Unfortunately, more recently, the Huskers have also experienced the other side of that identity. Hoiberg has spoken throughout the season about the importance of managing adversity, especially as the calendar turns toward March.

“There’s so much hoopla that goes into this time of year,” Hoiberg said. “You’ve got to block out that noise. It’s all about going out and executing and trying to go out there and play as mistake-free as you possibly can.”

That mindset will be tested again on Thursday, when No. 4 seed Nebraska takes on No. 13 seed Troy. For Nebraska, Selection Sunday felt different this year. The Huskers knew their name would be called long before the bracket appeared on television.

“I think there was a little bit of the anxiety taken out of it,” Hoiberg admitted. “The last time we were hoping to hear our name called. This year we knew it was coming.”

Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said the anxiety was taken out of Selection Sunday this year thanks to his team's historic season. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The moment still carries its own emotion for the only power four team to be winless in the NCAA Tournament.

“When you see the name, that’s when the butterflies start happening again,” Hoiberg said on Sunday.

Nebraska’s tournament path begins in Oklahoma City, where the Huskers will face Troy in the opening round, and Hoiberg knows the venue well.

“It’s a great arena there,” he said. “I coached on Christmas Day in that arena when I was in the NBA. It’s a great venue with unbelievable fans. I’m excited to see a lot of Huskers in the building.”

After a 2024 appearance, Nebraska's back in the "Big Dance" looking to earn its first-ever NCAA Tournament win. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The excitement of the moment, however, can’t overshadow the lesson from the Purdue game. The Huskers’ issues were fundamental. In the first half against the Boilermakers, Nebraska committed eight turnovers that immediately swung the game’s momentum.

“They were just mindless,” Hoiberg said. “Then in the second half we had two. We did a much better job taking care of the basketball, but you give them eight opportunities and it changes the game.”

Even when Nebraska corrected one problem, another surfaced.

“Our first shot defense was really good,” Hoiberg said. “But the inability to finish the possession and get the rebound — we need to fix that.”

Nebraska's struggles against Purdue Friday only highlighted the volatility of the team heading into its NCAA Tournament opener Thursday. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

That dynamic has defined Nebraska’s volatility all season. When the Huskers control possessions and protect the ball, they can overwhelm opponents with balance. Pryce Sandfort leads the team at nearly 18 points per game, while Rienk Mast provides versatility in the frontcourt and Sam Hoiberg directs the offense with more than four assists per game.

But when possessions extend for opponents or turnovers pile up, Nebraska can suddenly look vulnerable, and more like the teams of years past that couldn’t get it done in the biggest moments.

“It’s frustrating,” senior Sam Hoiberg said after the Purdue loss. “A lot of the things we struggled with is what we struggled with last time we played them, and that was them being more physical than us. We knew we had to battle them physically to have a chance. I think we lost that battle (Friday).”

For a team that thrives on rhythm and spacing, those extra possessions can change everything. Still, the Huskers insist the flaws are correctable. The same belief runs through the locker room.

Senior Sam Hoiberg admitted it was frustrating watching Nebraska fall into many of the same traps it did in its previous loss to Purdue this season. | David Banks-Imagn Images

“We’ve just got to play under control a little more,” guard Pryce Sandfort said. “There (are) some unforced ones in there, but we’re going to learn from it and get better.”

That ability to reset has been one of Nebraska’s defining traits this season. After a disappointing loss at UCLA late in the year, the Huskers regrouped to close the regular season with a strong performance on senior night against an Iowa team that had beaten them earlier in the year.

“We found a way to regroup,” Hoiberg said. “And now we’ve got to get that same focus back.”

Experience may help. Several players in Nebraska’s rotation have already experienced the NCAA Tournament environment together back in 2024. The head coach of the Huskers believes that matters when the games become tense and the spotlight grows brighter.

Nebraska's Senior Day win over Iowa proves they can bounce back, and they'll need to do it again Thursday against Troy. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

“Having guys that have experienced this — with Jamarques, with Rienk, with Cale, with Sam, with Henry — that all matters,” Fred Hoiberg said. “It’s important for our guys to go out there and set the tone and not let the moment be too big.”

The Huskers’ offense will continue to rely on spacing and three-point shooting, a deliberate philosophical choice in Hoiberg’s system. Against Purdue, both teams finished 10-of-31 from three-point range.

In the end, Nebraska generated the shots it wanted. They simply didn’t fall.

“We’re looking to take what the defense gives us,” Hoiberg said. “Purdue protects the paint and gives up a lot of threes. I thought we got some good looks. Unfortunately, they didn’t go down (Friday). They obviously hurt us inside, and the second-chance points were 19-8. That’s a big difference in the game.”

Nebraska senior Rienk Mast said Purdue didn't throw them any surprises Thursday, which means execution won the game. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Senior Rienk Mast said the Boilermakers’ approach was exactly what Nebraska expected, which only reinforced the larger takeaway. Execution, not surprise, decided the game.

That realization may ultimately serve Nebraska well, because March rarely rewards perfection. It rewards teams that can adjust quickly, absorb mistakes and respond to adversity within the same game.

Pryce Sandfort believes Nebraska is capable of doing exactly that come Thursday against Troy.

“We’ve had some ups and downs this year as does every team,” Sandfort said after the loss to Purdue. “But we’re going to come together and we’ll watch the film and be ready to go.”

Pryce Sandfort has been Nebraska's leading scorer this season, and he admits the team will need to play much better if they want to advance in the NCAA Tournament. | David Banks-Imagn Images

The NCAA Tournament has a way of magnifying identity. Every possession matters, and every mistake becomes louder. For Nebraska, that means the difference between the two versions of the Huskers may determine how long the season lasts.

The version that buried Oregon under a barrage of threes and defensive pressure looked like a legitimate national contender. The version that struggled with turnovers and rebounding against Purdue looked vulnerable.

Both exist inside the same locker room, and that is what makes Nebraska one of the most intriguing teams entering the tournament. If the Huskers play with discipline, defend the glass and control the ball, they have shown the ability to beat almost anyone on their schedule.

If the details slip, the margin shrinks quickly. The challenge now is to find the right version at the right time.

Nebraska will be taking on a conference champion Thursday after Troy claimed the Sun Belt Conference Championship back on March 9. | Gregg Pachkowski/Pensacola News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“We’ve got to find a way to put two halves together,” Fred Hoiberg said. “If we want any chance of advancing here, starting next week.”

That task begins in Oklahoma City, and like most things in March, it will probably be decided in the smallest moments.