SELECTION SUNDAY: Huskers lock up 8 seed, will face Aggies in first round

LINCOLN, NEB - When it comes to March Madness, you don’t have to look far for storylines. When it comes to Husker basketball in the 2024 tourney, take your pick.

For the first time in 10 years, Nebraska has been selected for the tournament, getting an 8 seed bid in Memphis. The opponent? The Aggies of Texas A&M. Storyline’s aside, head coach Fred Hoiberg credits a strong team bond and cohesive group for the Huskers realizing a major goal.

“Everyone was downstairs hootin’ and hollerin’ and I was upstairs in my room by myself, and I'll be honest, I got a little emotional,” Hoiberg said, “Being back at this time of the year is what it’s all about, it’s why we came to Nebraska. This place means a lot to me.”

Nebraska only has one player in their regular rotation with tournament experience, that being Juwan Gary. Veterans like Rienk Mast and Josiah Allick discussed how they’re preparing for their first ever trip to the big dance.

“Just sticking with what we know, same preparations, same recipes for how we prepare,” Mast said. “I think that will help us stay level-headed and take away some of the nerves,” Mast said.

“You can’t underestimate anybody,” Allick said. “It is do or die so everyones going to be excited and ready to go.”

Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams are in the tournament and both have the same opponent: Texas A&M. The irony? Trev Alberts just left Nebraska less than a week ago to become athletic director for the Aggies.

The Huskers are putting storylines aside, as they prepare for the first round tilt.

“It doesn’t matter to me, it thought they were going yo put us in a bracket with Iowa State,” Fred Hoiberg joked. “For us it’s all about preparation, we could care less about any storyline or whatever it is.. We just have to get to work and know we’re facing a tough basketball team who is extremely talented.”

“I was part of the Student Advisory Committee and he [Alberts] was always a good dude,” Allick said. “There’s no ill will with us players, but I know the fanbase has different feelings on that, but we’re just approaching this as another matchup and we’re looking to take care of business.

The Aggies enter with a record of 20-14, most recently falling to the Florida Gators in the SEC Tournament semifinal.

The Huskers and Aggies tip-off at 5:50 p.m. central time on Friday.