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Nebraska’s men’s basketball team entered the big dance with an undesirable reputation; the Huskers were one of the two Power Five schools to never win a single NCAA tournament game. They were 0-for-8 in the big dance, looking to finally change the narrative this season, as they secured their ninth appearance.
The Huskers earned a No. 4 seed and faced No. 13 Troy in the first round. Over a million brackets picked Troy to pull off the upset. Nebraska gave their opponent no chance. This wasn’t just a win – it was a statement.
The Huskers rolled to a dominant 74-47 victory, leaving no doubt. The ghosts were exorcised. Nebraska had finally arrived. Now, they are here to stay.
Waiting next was No. 5 Vanderbilt in the second round, fresh off a run to the SEC title game where it pushed Arkansas in a tight, electric battle before falling by nine.
Nebraska may have been the higher seed, but there was no true underdog here. And once the game tipped off, it delivered everything fans could dream of. Both teams traded buckets in an exciting showdown. Vanderbilt’s biggest lead was five, while Nebraska got up by 10 at one point – but it didn’t last long as the Commodores battled back and the ball game went down to the wire.
With the score tied at 72-72, the Huskers had the last possession in regulation. With 2.2 seconds to go, Nebraska guard Braden Frager drove to the basket and kissed a layup off the glass to give his team a two-point edge. 74-72.
Timeout Vanderbilt. With their season on the line, Tyler Tanner received the inbound pass and stormed down the court. He launched a prayer from the half-court.
With the sound of the buzzer, the ball went in – and then out. As Tanner’s shot rimmed out, the Huskers exploded in ecstasy while the Vanderbilt bench dropped their heads in disbelief.
“I thought it went in,” Frager said. “I didn’t know how to react, and I was just – everybody started celebrating. I was like, yeah, he actually missed it, so..”
Millimetres from a disaster, Nebraska instead survived what could have been one of the best and most miraculous March Madness shots. “That last shot, man, it just took my breath away,” Huskers coach Fred Hoiberg said.
“That kid Tanner is an unbelievable player, and when that thing was up in the air, I was like, ‘Man, that’s going in’. It hit every part of the rim. Thankfully, it bounced out.”
And just like that, Nebraska went from a winless tournament program to the Sweet 16.
“I know it had to be incredible on TV,” said Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington. “It was an incredible game. I mean, it sucks that we were on the side that we were on. But, I mean, a high-level game, and I’m sure the crowd lifted them up and had them playing – they played so hard.”
