A Season for the Ages • 28-7 • Sweet 16
This team was different.
They started 20-0. Set every record in the book. Won Nebraska's first tournament game in 128 years. Made the Sweet 16 for the first time ever. It was a Disney movie… but sometimes the villain wins. Iowa 77, Nebraska 71. The dream ended, but what this team built will never die.
THE TOURNAMENT RUN
Round of 64
#4 Nebraska 76
—
#13 Troy 47
First NCAA Tournament win in 128 years
Round of 32
#4 Nebraska 74
—
#5 Vanderbilt 72
Frager game-winning layup — 2.2 seconds left
Sweet 16
#9 Iowa 77
—
#4 Nebraska 71
Sandfort: 25 pts, 6 threes. The dream ends.
28-7
Record
2
NCAA Wins
20-0
Best Start
#5
Highest Rank
Sweet 16
Tournament
NCAA Tournament Bracket
March Madness 2026
Nebraska
Nebraska’s Path
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B1G Tournament Bracket
Lost to Purdue 58–74 in QF
Big Ten Tournament Bracket
United Center, Chicago • March 10–15, 2026
Nebraska
Nebraska’s Side
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The Disney Movie
October – January
The Beginning
20-0. The best start in program history. Nebraska climbed to #5 in the AP Poll — the highest ever. School records fell like dominoes: most Big Ten wins (15), most season wins (28), longest winning streak (20). Fred Hoiberg’s seventh season became the best in 128 years of Nebraska basketball.
March 19 • Paycom Center, OKC
The First Win
128 years. Seven first-round exits. Zero NCAA Tournament wins. Until Nebraska 76, Troy 47. The drought was over. An entire program’s history rewritten in 40 minutes. The monkey was off the back.
March 21 • Round of 32
The Instant Classic
Vanderbilt 72, Nebraska 72. Rienk Mast hits the tying bucket. 2.2 seconds left. Braden Frager — a redshirt freshman from Lincoln — drives the lane and sinks the game-winner. Vanderbilt’s half-court heave hits every part of the rim and bounces out. Nebraska is going to the Sweet 16 for the first time ever.
1-0
All-time in the Round of 32
The only team in NCAA history to have won 100% of their Round of 32 games. Perfect. Undefeated. Forever.
March 26 • Sweet 16 • Houston
But Sometimes the Villain Wins
Pryce Sandfort put on a masterpiece — 25 points, six three-pointers. It wasn’t enough. Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz scored 20. A critical possession with only four Huskers on the floor let Iowa convert a three-point play. Iowa 77, Nebraska 71. The Disney movie was over. The villain won. But the story — the real story — was already written.
Thank You, Seniors
The class that changed everything
#51
Rienk Mast
Forward • 6-10 • Senior
13.6 PPG • 6.0 RPG • 3.0 APG
Came back from a lost season. Started all 35 games. Hit the tying bucket vs Vanderbilt that set up the game-winner.
#10
Jamarques Lawrence
Guard • Senior
9.9 PPG • 4.0 APG
Game-winning three at Illinois. Career-high 27 at Indiana. Came back to Nebraska and helped rewrite history.
#1
Sam Hoiberg
Guard • Senior
9.6 PPG • 5.2 RPG • 4.4 APG
Coach’s son. Heart and soul. Did everything for this team. The ultimate glue guy.
#4
Kendall Blue
Guard • Senior
Senior Leadership
Brought toughness and experience when it mattered most.
#33
Jared Garcia
Forward • Senior
Senior Leadership
Gave everything for the program. Part of the foundation that built this.
Season Celebration Edition
Think You Know Nebrasketball?
150 questions. From the 20-0 start to the Sweet 16 run. From 1897 to Frager’s game-winner. Prove you were here for all of it.
Season Milestones
Everything this team accomplished
They Said It Couldn't Be Done
The greatest underdog stories. Nebraska belongs on this list.
1950
Uruguay 2, Brazil 1
Silenced 200,000 fans in the Maracana
1969
Jets 16, Colts 7
Namath guaranteed it, then delivered
1980
Miracle on Ice
College kids beat the unbeatable Soviets, USA 4-3
1985
Villanova 66, Georgetown 64
#8 seed shoots 78.6% to beat #1
2004
Greece wins Euro 2004
150-1 outsiders beat host Portugal twice
2016
Leicester City
Premier League Champions at 5,000-1 odds
2026
Indiana Football
From worst P5 program to National Champions
2026
Nebrasketball?
128 years. 26-5. Ranked #11. #2 seed. Triple bye. Big Ten Tournament starts Tuesday. This is the year.
Schedule & Results
26-5 • Regular season complete • Tournament time
By The Numbers
This team can play
Offense
77.7
PPG
Defense
65.7
Opp PPG
3-Point
35.3%
From deep
Assists
18.1
APG (#23 nationally)
7.2
Steals/Game
46.6%
FG%
75.6%
FT%
9.7
Turnovers/Game
Data from ESPN
The Mission
Win our first tournament game. End 128 years of waiting.
Big Ten Tournament
#2 Seed
Triple Bye • QF Fri Mar 13
United Center, Chicago • BTN/CBS
NCAA Tournament (Projected)
~3 Seed
Selection Sunday Mar 15
Final Four: Indianapolis
Projected bracket path as a 3 seed
R64
3 vs 14
→
R32
vs 6/11
→
S16
Sweet 16
→
E8
Elite 8
→
F4
Indy
0
NCAA Tournament wins in program history. 7 appearances. 7 first-round exits.
1986, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2014.
2026 is different.
1986, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2014.
2026 is different.
Why This Team Is Different
24
Game win streak to start the year (longest by a B1G team since 2010-11 Ohio State)
13-0
Non-conference record, first undefeated non-con since 1928-29
8-3
Road/neutral record in Big Ten play, battle-tested for March
The Squad
The players making history under Coach Fred Hoiberg
Stars Ready for the Stage
Sandfort
18.3 PPG
School 3PT record
Mast
13.7 / 6.1
ESPN Breakout
Frager
12.3 PPG
FR sensation
Hoiberg
4.5 APG
Heart & soul