It has been a statistic that has hung over the program for years now, a streak of futility unmatched among the NCAA power conferences.
One that finally came to an end at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers entered the 2026 men’s NCAA basketball tournament as the only team from a power conference without a tournament win. Eight trips to the dance, eight times leaving without tasting victory. But all that changed Thursday in Oklahoma City, as the 4th-seeded Cornhuskers knocked off 13-seed Troy by a final score of 76-47.
The statistic was not one that Nebraska, and head coach Fred Hoiberg, shied away from.
“So, you know, they’ve handled the adversity well,” said Hoiberg on Monday when asked about the history the team was trying to make this year. “I guess to answer your question, very well as a team all season. Nebraska is 0-8 all-time, but none of these players were part of the seven before two years ago in Memphis where we had three guys. They talked about it. They got a little bit caught up in the hoopla. There’s a lot of things going on this time of year, and the team that puts up their walls and blocks out the noise, I think, has the best chance of advancing.
“Our guys, I think, have done a solid job of that.”
Nebraska entered the tournament with a 26-6 record and as the No. 4 seed in the South Region, the highest a Cornhuskers team was seeded in the NCAA tournament since the 1990-91 squad that began as a No. 3 seed. But this year’s team rose as high as No. 5 in the AP Top 25, and had their sights made on breaking that streak and making school history.
Thursday’s win was in line with how the Cornhuskers took care of business all season, with a defensive approach that allowed just 66 points per game, ranking Nebraska among the top defenses in the nation. They held Troy to just 25 points in the first half, while building a 41-25 lead at the break.
With under five minutes to go, Nebraska had a 70-45 lead, and the Cornhuskers fans in the stands were ready to celebrate history. The chants of “Go Big Red” rained down from the stands, and it sounded like a Wednesday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena in January, and not the NCAA tournament in March.
And when the clock struck zero, Nebraska had their 27th win of the season, a new program record.
Troy finished the game having been held to 13-of-46 from the field, and a team that averaged 80 points a game was held to just 47 by the Cornhuskers.
“A lot of emotions. It’s been a special group,” said Hoiberg courtside after the win. “We’re not satisfied, I can promise you that.
“This is emotional, there’s no doubt about it. With my family’s history here, this means the world.”
For Hoiberg, the victory was personal, given his family’s ties to the Nebraska program as he noted to Andy Katz after the game. His grandfather was the head coach at the school for nine seasons, and breaking that streak carried some weight. His son Sam is a senior guard on the team, who had nine rebounds and four assists in the win.
“Our team is so close, we have a special bond,” said the senior guard after the victory.
“[T]his program does mean a lot to me because of my family’s history, and my grandfather was the head coach for nine seasons at the University of Nebraska. I was born in Lincoln. My parents both got their degrees from the University of Nebraska. I’ve got a lot of family in the state. My Grandpa Hoiberg was a sociology professor at Nebraska for 30 years,” added the Nebraska head coach ahead of the tournament.
“This place means a lot to me. Two programs — Iowa State and Nebraska — and I’ve been fortunate to be the head coach at both places. It would mean a lot to our family. It would mean even more to our fans. Again, they’re going to show up. They expect a lot out of this team, as they should. This team has been very easy to root for all season long because of their makeup and how they’ve approached everything with what you have to accomplish in your daily battles.
“Yes, it would mean a lot for our family, and again, we’re going to throw everything we have. It’s all about competing and, again, fighting through that adversity that we have to do at this time of season if you want to advance.”
Nebraska overcame that adversity, and history, on Thursday in Oklahoma City. The Cornhuskers now play the winner of No. 5 seed Vanderbilt vs. No. 12 seed McNeese on Saturday. Nebraska will the higher-seeded team again, and will have a good shot to keep this run going to the Sweet 16.
