Nebraska ends decades of March Madness heartbreak with first-ever NCAA Tournament win

Miles Simon joins Jason McIntyre to discuss Duke and Arizona’s odds to win the ’26 March Madness title, and if AJ Dybantsa can lead the BYU Cougars to success.

The No. 4 Nebraska Cornhuskers made easy work of the No. 13 Troy Trojans in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, taking them down, 76-47, to keep their March Madness dreams alive. 

In doing so, history was made for the program. 

The Cornhuskers have made nine trips to "The Dance," beginning in 1986, yet there were no wins to be found for them in those appearances. 

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Rienk Mast of the Nebraska Cornhuskers celebrates during the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament against the Troy Trojans held at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Shane Bevel/NCAA Photos)

But there was no doubt about Nebraska on Thursday despite a hot start by Troy in this contest. 

Pryce Sandfort, Nebraska’s sharpshooter, was a main reason why they ran away with the game. He was efficient from beyond the arc in the first half, hitting five of his eight three-point attempts and notching 17 points over the first 20 minutes. 

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Sandfort went on to score 23 points, as he took a spot on the bench in the second half when head coach Fred Hoiberg knew he could rest his starters with a hefty lead. 

Meanwhile, Troy struggled after that start, shooting just 28% from the field for the whole game, going just 13-of-46 including 8-of-28 from three-point territory. 

Victor Valdes of the Troy Trojans defends Braden Frager of the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the first half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA