Trojans fall in NCAA Tournament

Troy men’s basketball fell to Nebraska in the NCAA Tournament round of 64 last Thursday, 76-47. 

The loss ends a historic chapter in Trojan history, with a second consecutive Sun Belt tournament and regular season title along with the program’s fourth appearance in “The Big Dance.” 

Troy led through the first 10 minutes of the game thanks to impeccable shooting from both Victor Valdes and Cooper Campbell. With an early 15-12 lead, the duo had knocked down four shots from long range already. 

Things quickly took a turn for the worst, with a 20-4 run for the Cornhuskers. Pryce Sandfort’s hot hand gave Nebraska the halftime lead, 41-25. Not much would change in the second half, as the junior totaled 23 points off seven made 3s en route to the first NCAA Tournament win in Nebraska’s nine total appearances. 

“I'd like to thank the good Lord for the opportunity to have your guts just absolutely ripped out,” said head coach Scott Cross. “It stinks, but I told the guys in the locker room, ‘They are not defined by a basketball game.’ 

“They played an amazing team [in Nebraska].” 

The consensus among experts entering this game was that 3-pointers and rebounds would be the determining factors for if Troy could manage to pull off the upset. The Trojans lost on both fronts. Nebraska shot 14-of-39 compared to Troy’s eight total. The Cornhuskers won the rebound battle, 37-33, with four more offensive rebounds than Troy. 

Turnovers were a major issue for Troy as well. Nebraska forced 17 turnovers, scoring 17 points off of it as well. Troy forced just six turnovers. 

Victor Valdes as the Trojan’s leading scorer with 14 points. He managed a career-high four 3-pointers. Valdes was the only Trojan to reach double-digit points. Thomas Dowd, who averages over 14 points per game, scored just four. The Dothan native managed nine rebounds. Cooper Campbell scored six points, being held scoreless for the final 30 minutes of action. 

Troy is now 0-4 in NCAA Tournament appearances. The loss to Nebraska is the program’s largest margin of defeat in a tournament game. 

Following the game, it was announced that Coach Cross would be departing Troy after seven years for the Georgia Tech head coaching job. No other roster or staff changes have been confirmed yet. Troy and whoever its new coach is will chase a third straight Sun Belt title when the 2026-27 season begins in November.