Date: Thursday, March 19th, 2026
Tipoff: 11:40 a.m. (central)
Location: Paycom Center (Oklahoma City, Okla.)
TV/Online:
Thursday’s game will be broadcast on truTV with Brandon Gaudin, Chris Webber and Andy Katz on the call. The game will be available online at NCAA March Madness Live and on HBO Max.
Radio:
Thursday’s game will be carried on the Huskers Radio Network with Kent Pavelka and Jeff Smith on the call, including KLIN (1400 AM) in Lincoln, KCRO (660 AM) and KIBM (1490 AM) in Omaha and KRVN (880 AM) in Lexington. NCAA Tournament games will not be available on Huskers.com or the Huskers app.
Preview: Courtesy of Huskers.com
After a record-breaking regular
season, the Nebraska men’s basketball program is in the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three seasons. The Huskers (26-6) are the No. 4 seed in the South Region and will travel to Oklahoma City for the First and Second Rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Huskers will open tournament play on Thursday, March 19 against No. 13 seed Troy (22-11). Tipoff is set for 11:40 a.m. (CT) and the game will be broadcast on truTV and carried on the Huskers Radio Network.
The Huskers are making their ninth NCAA Tournament appearance in school history, and the No. 4 seed is the Huskers’ highest NCAA seed since 1991. The two appearances in the last three tournaments marks the first time that has happened for the Huskers since making four straight NCAA appearances from 1991 to 1994.
Under the direction of Big Ten Coach of the Year Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska’s 26 wins matches the school record for wins set in 1991. The Huskers tied for second in the Big Ten Conference with a 15-5 record, setting a school record for conference wins and posting their best conference finish since the 1992-93 season.
Nebraska’s attack is led by first-team All-Big Ten performer Pryce Sandfort, who averages 17.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-7 wing has a school record 113 3-pointers and totaled 13 games with at least 20 points, including a trip of 30-point efforts. Senior Rienk Mast anchors the Husker offense as he averages 13.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game and is a two-time All-Big Ten honoree. The 6-foot-10 forward started on the Huskers’ 2024 NCAA Tournament team. Redshirt freshman Braden Frager is the third Husker who averages double figures, as the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year is at 11.6 ppg. Senior guards Sam Hoiberg (9.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.4 apg, 2.1 spg) and Jamarques Lawrence (9.7 ppg, 4.0 apg) both were in the Huskers’ rotation in NU’s last NCAA Tournament game.
The winner of the NU/Troy matchup will face the winner of the game between No. 5 seed Vanderbilt and No. 12 seed McNeese on Saturday.
Jarek’s pre-tipoff thoughts:
Just watch this…
Now close your eyes, take a deep breath…and let’s go win.
Score Prediction: Nebraska 78 Troy 70
