Why Control Will Matter More Than Emotion on Thursday for the Huskers

Nebraska has the experience and identity to compete in March. Now the Huskers must prove they can maintain both when everything speeds up.

The Huskers' 26-6 record shows they've earned their spot in the tournament, but will they be able to prove it under the bright lights? | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The moment Nebraska has been working toward all season is finally here.

The lights are brighter, the stakes are higher, and the margin for error is gone. Inside the Husker locker room, though, the message isn’t about the “madness.” It’s about control. Not control of the opponent, not control of the crowd, and not even control of the outcome.

Control of themselves.

As Nebraska prepares to open NCAA Tournament play against Troy on Thursday, the most consistent theme from coach Fred Hoiberg and his players isn’t excitement or pressure. Instead, it’s restraint.

Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said his team can't change who they are just because they're in the NCAA Tournament. | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

“You have to control your emotions,” Hoiberg said. “You can’t go out and all of a sudden try to do things that you haven’t done all year.”

That idea, so simple on the surface, is often what separates teams that survive March from those that unravel in it. Nebraska enters the tournament at 26-6 and has been built on defensive consistency and discipline. By most advanced metrics, the Huskers have been one of the more efficient defensive teams in the country, holding opponents to tough looks, limiting transition opportunities and forcing teams into uncomfortable possessions late in the shot clock.

But even for a team with that identity, Hoiberg knows how fragile it can become this time of year.

“It’s all about the basics,” he said. “The things that we’ve been doing since day one on both ends of the ball — share it, make the simple play, communicate, get back in transition, don’t give up easy baskets. It’s on steroids now.”

Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said his team's preparation is "on steroids" as the Huskers gear up for Troy on Thursday. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

That phrase “on steroids” captures the reality of tournament basketball regardless of what tournament you’re in. Every possession is magnified, every mistake is amplified, and every emotional swing has the potential to snowball – just as the Huskers how their experience in the Big Ten Tournament went.

Against Purdue this past Friday, Nebraska experienced what happens when that control slips. Even in their late-season matchup at UCLA, the Huskers lost composure defensively, allowing runs that quickly flipped the game.

Hoiberg didn’t shy away from those moments.

“We did not handle (emotions) I think very well at UCLA,” he said. “The Big Ten Tournament got away from us against Purdue.”

UCLA had Nebraska on its heels from the opening jump just a few weeks ago. | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The numbers back that up. In those losses, Nebraska allowed significant offensive rebounding margins and gave up scoring bursts that came in clusters — the kind that often follow defensive breakdowns tied to focus and urgency rather than scheme. That’s also exactly what makes Troy such a dangerous opponent for a Husker team seeking its first-ever NCAA Tournament win.

If there’s a team built to capitalize on emotional lapses, it’s Troy. The Trojans rank among the better teams in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio, a sign of a group that doesn’t beat itself. They also sit inside the top tier nationally in offensive rebounding percentage, creating extra possessions that punish teams for even momentary lapses in discipline.

Nebraska senior Sam Hoiberg went even further, pointing directly at areas Nebraska has struggled with.

“Purdue exposed us on that both times we played them,” he said, referencing both rebounding and physicality. “That’s something that caught our attention and is a big focus in our scout.”

Purdue took no prisoners in its dominant win Friday over Nebraska. The Boilermakers went on to win the Big Ten Tournament championship. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Those aren’t just stylistic matchups. They’re pressure points, and when a team like Troy forces you to defend longer possessions, fight through second-chance opportunities and stay locked in for full 30-second stretches, emotional discipline becomes physical discipline. One missed box-out, one rushed pass or one lapse in transition can turn into a quick four- or six-point swing.

In the NCAA Tournament, those swings often decide games.

For Nebraska, part of managing those moments comes from experience — but not the kind that guarantees success. Several Huskers have been in the NCAA Tournament before, including Sam Hoiberg and Rienk Mast, but their message isn’t that experience makes things easier. It’s that it reveals how little emotion alone matters.

“I remember just thinking we’re going to win because we wanted it more,” Sam Hoiberg said, reflecting on NU’s 2024 NCAA Tournament game against Texas A&M. “You feel like once you get to that position, you’re going to be so desperate that it’s going to fall in your hands, and that’s not the case.”

In 2024, the Huskers thought nature would take its course for them against Texas A&M in the NCAA Tournament. The Aggies had other ideas. | Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK

That realization is critical. Every team in the tournament wants it, and every team is desperate and capable.

“You can’t get caught up in the distractions,” Fred Hoiberg said. “You have to do what you did to get there.”

That includes blocking out external noise — something Nebraska’s leaders have taken seriously since game one of the season. It led to a record 20-0 start to the year, and now NU’s hoping it leads to even more history come Thursday.

“Me personally, I deleted social media,” Sam Hoiberg said. “I don’t really care what anyone has to say about our matchups and anything about our team.”

If you have thoughts about Nebraska's matchup against Troy, Sam Hoiberg probably won't hear them. He deleted his social media accounts. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

It’s a small detail, but it reflects a larger mindset – eliminate anything that pulls focus away from preparation and execution. For slightly younger players like Pryce Sandfort, the challenge is a bit different. This is his first experience on this stage, where the buildup can feel overwhelming.

“I’ve waited for this for a long time,” Sandfort said. “Being here now, it’s really special.”

But even in that excitement, his approach remains consistent.

“It’s just another basketball game,” he said. “We’ll prepare the same way.”

That balance — acknowledging the moment without being consumed by it — is what Nebraska’s trying to maintain. It shows up in how they talk about the game, how they practice and how they frame expectations.

Thursday will mark Pryce Sandfort's first-ever NCAA Tournament game -- which he's called "just another game." | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Even when asked whether the season hinges on winning a tournament game, both coaches and players resisted the narrative.

“We’re not thinking about it that way,” Fred Hoiberg said. “There’s enough pressure at this time of year. If that’s your thought process, you’re not going to be focused on the little things.”

Those little things — like a defensive rotation, a rebound or a clean entry pass — are what Nebraska believes will ultimately determine the outcome against the Trojans. There’s also a physical side to emotional control, especially early in games. Nebraska has emphasized the importance of getting off to a strong start all season long, not just for scoreboard reasons but to settle nerves and establish rhythm.

A fast start can stabilize a team emotionally, but a slow start can do the opposite, leading to rushed possessions, forced shots and defensive breakdowns like NU put on full display against Purdue their last time out.

The importance of a fast start is again being emphasized by the Huskers as they continue preparations for Troy. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

That’s particularly relevant against a Troy team that has proven it can hang with high-level competition. Last season, the Trojans pushed Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament, trailing by just two possessions at halftime before eventually falling. That experience reinforces the point Nebraska keeps returning to – nothing will come easy in their tourney opener.

Nebraska’s 26-6 record, however, projects a team that has handled adversity well throughout the season. They’ve responded to tough losses, avoided prolonged slumps and built a resume that reflects consistency.

March Madness, though, presents a different kind of adversity. It’s immediate, unforgiving and final.

There are no second chances. No next games to correct mistakes made. No time to regroup. That reality is why emotional control isn’t just a talking point. It’s a necessity.

The recipe for success hasn't changed for Nebraska. Coach Fred Hoiberg says Thursday will come down to the team's execution. | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

In many ways, Nebraska’s approach is intentionally simple. Defend, rebound, take care of the ball, communicate and stay composed. The challenge isn’t understanding those principles. It’s executing them when everything around you is louder, faster and more intense than it’s been all season. That’s where games are won or lost.

If Nebraska maintains its defensive discipline, limits Troy’s second-chance opportunities and avoids self-inflicted mistakes, the Huskers will put themselves in position to advance for the first time in program history.

If they don’t and their emotions lead to rushed decisions, missed assignments or breakdowns on the glass, Troy has the profile of a team capable of capitalizing. That’s the tension of March. It’s not just talent versus talent, but composure versus chaos.

For Nebraska, the path forward isn’t about rising above the moment. It’s about staying grounded within it.

“If you go out and execute, hopefully things at the end of the day take care of themselves,” Fred Hoiberg said.

On Thursday, that execution will undoubtedly start with control.

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