For the primary time since 2014, Nebraska is formally within the NCAA event. It’s not a shock; projections have had the Huskers comfortably within the subject for a lot of the season. Now, the Huskers’ alternative to make historical past is staring them within the collective eyes.
A No. 8 seed, NU will face No. 9 Texas A&M on Friday in Memphis — fewer than two weeks after TAMU employed athletic director Trev Alberts away from Nebraska. The Huskers will go for the primary event win in program historical past
“We bought numerous guys that might be experiencing this for the primary time, and there’s nothing prefer it,” coach Fred Hoiberg stated. “We’ve talked about that over the course of the season once we had preparation in video games that we needed to win, and our guys stepped as much as the problem and bought us thus far.”
5 different Large Ten groups are within the subject: Purdue, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Northwestern. If the Huskers beat Texas A&M, they’ll probably face No. 1 seed Houston within the spherical of 32.
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Nebraska is the one energy convention program with no event win because it seems within the Large Dance for the eighth time and first underneath Hoiberg. The Huskers steadily progressed over 5 years since hiring Hoiberg earlier than profitable 22 video games in 2022-23 and showing within the Large Ten Match semifinals for the primary time since becoming a member of the convention.
Texas A&M enters the event enjoying its greatest basketball of the season, having gained 5 of six video games, together with two within the SEC Match, to play its manner off the bubble. The Aggies circled their season after shedding 5 straight in February, and their resume was boosted by a top quality nonconference schedule.
TAMU’s path to victory Friday is on the glass. TAMU is the highest offensive rebounding group within the nation, cleansing up 42% of its missed photographs. Its wrestle is on the perimeter. Opponents shoot 33.9% from 3-point vary. Nebraska, a high-volume group from past the arc, could have its work reduce out for it.
“It’s a recreation of who can play higher towards their strengths and who can regulate and mitigate the opposite group’s strengths,” ahead Rienk Mast stated. “And we’ll positively do an entire lot of rebounding drills this upcoming week. I do know this has a few of our wrestle this season, so we all know that and we all know easy methods to work on it, so we’ll be prepared.”
Nebraska’s relative unfamiliarity with the event extends to its gamers. Solely Juwan Gary and Ahron Ulis, who’s ineligible this season whereas serving a playing suspension, have performed in March Insanity.
The Huskers have, nonetheless, had strain cooker video games this season. Their margin for error was miniscule after they sat under .500 in convention play in February, solely to shut the common season with six wins in seven video games. The Large Ten Match, which concluded moments earlier than the choice present, was one other alternative towards high quality groups on a impartial ground.
Hoiberg spent the previous two offseasons constructing a group for this second, touchdown veterans Mast, Gary, Josiah Allick and Brice Williams out of the switch portal. Friday, the roster meeting, the upset wins over Purdue and Wisconsin, Nebraska’s institution as a top quality group will come to a degree. Now it has an opportunity to place all of it collectively and do one thing no iteration of NU has completed.
“Simply sticking with what we all know, sticking with the identical preparation, similar kind of recipe for the way we put together,” Mast stated. “And I feel that may assist us preserve us sort of level-headed and take away a number of the nerves, however clearly in the event you’re not nervous-slash-excited for this recreation — this can be a nice stage, nice alternative.”
Here is the place the Nebraska and Creighton basketball groups are headed for the primary spherical of the NCAA event.
Photographs: Creighton and Nebraska basketball groups react because the 2024 NCAA event brackets are unveiled
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