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
- March Madness Day 1 Winners and Losers: Cinderella Keeps Dancing in Men’s NCAA Tournament
- Eight Standout Performances From the First Round of the NCAA Tournament
- Tar Heels’ March Madness Meltdown Caps a Colossal Year of Failure for Carolina Way
- The Biggest Comeback in Every Round of the NCAA Men's Tournament
- Siena Player Seen Cursing Out Duke to UNC Staffer in Funny Postgame Moment
Listen to SI’s college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Nebraska Captures First-Ever March Madness Win in Rout of Troy.
