Nebraska

Inaugural College Basketball Crown pits Nebraska against Arizona State

Published

12 months ago

March 30, 2025

Press Room

Inaugural College Basketball Crown pits Nebraska against Arizona State

Nebraska and Arizona State are riding five-game losing streaks and haven’t played in three weeks.

March has been college basketball’s ultimate month for decades, but March Madness might gain another definition thanks to the inaugural College Basketball Crown tournament.

Take Monday’s first-round game between Nebraska (17-14) and Arizona State (13-19) at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It’s definitely postseason basketball, but it’s a clash of two teams riding five-game losing streaks that haven’t played in three weeks.

It’s also two programs in a state of flux due to injuries, transfers, coaching moves and more. It almost feels like the Cornhuskers and Sun Devils must fit this game into their busy schedules as if it were a dentist appointment instead of a trip to Sin City.

“Obviously a crazy time preparing and doing everything for the tournament,” Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said. “At the same time, with the landscape of college basketball right now, we’re doing a lot of work as far as trying to figure out our roster for next season. And visits and Zooms and going out and seeing guys.”

Nebraska hasn’t played since March 9, when a loss in its Big Ten regular-season finale to Iowa kept the Cornhuskers out of the conference tournament. Since that time, top assistant coach Adam Howard has departed to join the staff of new North Carolina State coach Will Wade.

Nonetheless, it’s a chance for Nebraska’s seniors — including first-team all-Big Ten guard Brice Williams (20 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists per game) and forward Juwan Gary (14 points, 4.8 rebounds) — to write a different ending to their college careers.

One senior, 7-foot-1 center Braxton Meah, is a game-time decision due to a lingering back injury that kept him out of Nebraska’s past two games. And another, point guard Rollie Worster, has been shut down after fighting through a foot injury for the final three months of the season.

“He’s been playing with a plate in his shoe,” Hoiberg said. “He’s been really, really sore. It just got to the point to where it’s tough to put a lot of weight on it. The decision was made to put him in a boot.”

Meanwhile, Arizona State hasn’t played since March 11, when the Sun Devils dropped their Big 12 tournament opener to Kansas State.

Though the Sun Devils lost 11 of their final 12 games to clinch their fourth losing record in the past five seasons, head coach Bobby Hurley reportedly will return for an 11th season in Tempe, Ariz.

Arizona State will play without fourth-leading scorer Joson Sanon (11.9 points per game); the freshman guard — a Top 25 recruit in the 2024 class — already has announced a transfer to St. John’s.

On the flip side, the Sun Devils are adding wing Marcus Adams via the transfer portal, On3 reported Saturday. Adams rang up 16.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game for Cal State Northridge in 2024-25. Of course, Adams will not be eligible to play in the Crown, a 16-team tournament that runs through next Sunday.

The Sun Devils figure to have just seven scholarship players available Monday, but that includes all five starters. Senior guards BJ Freeman (13.7 points per game) and Alston Mason (13.5 points, 4 assists) and freshman big Jayden Quaintance (9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.6 blocks) lead the way.

Whichever team snaps its five-game losing streak will advance to the quarterfinals Wednesday against the winner of Monday’s game between Georgetown (17-15) and Washington State (19-14).

–Field Level Media

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Nebraska

What Iowa coach Ben McCollum said after defeating Nebraska on Thursday

Published

5 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

What Iowa coach Ben McCollum said after defeating Nebraska on Thursday

Iowa coach Ben McCollum met with the media following his team’s 77-71 victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Sweet 16. The Cornhuskers led by three at the half but Iowa was able to outscore Nebraska 34-25 in the second half.

Pryce Sandfort led all scorers with 25 points while shooting 8 of 13 from the field and 6 of 10 from the 3-point line. Bennett Stirtz led the Hawkeyes with 20 points and played for all 40 minutes.

Iowa shot 52% (27-52) from the floor, 43% (13-30) from beyond the arc and 83% (10-12) from the free throw line. Nebraska struggled shooting 41% (24-58) from the field, 34% (13-38) from the 3-point line and 91% (10-11) from the charity stripe.

The Hawkeyes’ head coach acknowledged that his team had a poor start but a great finish and said that his team will need to play better to advance beyond the Elite Eight.

Yeah, I think to start we weren’t fantastic to start. They had an elite game plan to start. They played with elite pace. They adjusted their defense quite a bit. I think a lot of people will talk about the rivalry. I was around it when I was in Iowa, you know, and grew up in Iowa and understand the rivalry and whatnot. It’s nice to have — I guess if you would a call it rival that runs such a class program.
I think Coach Hoiberg, they have got great kids. They completely turned everything around from the previous season, and they have absolutely nothing to hang their heads about or anything. I have the utmost respect for them, all their players, and especially Coach Hoiberg. Heck of a season. I know it’s no consolation, but we still want to beat ’em every time and they want to beat us every time.
But from and internal perspective, there’s not a lot of bad blood there. It’s actually a lot of respect. I was really pleased with our second-half performance. I thought we actually decided we were going to try — not try. They had a lot to do with it, but kind of. Yeah, they’re smiling over there because they saw me break my marker.
And I thought our kids did a good job of executing offensively in both halves. We spent a lot of time trying to make sure that we could score, and you saw the result of that. We didn’t defend. But we were able to score, so we were able to stay in the game long enough and then get enough stops and had some big possessions down the stretch. Really good program win for everybody, coaches, managers, everybody included.

Iowa advances to the Elite Eight with the victory. Nebraska’s season ends with a record of 28-7.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: What Iowa coach Ben McCollum said after defeating Nebraska on Thursday

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Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen appoints Antonio Gomez to Racing and Gaming Commission

Published

17 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen appoints Antonio Gomez to Racing and Gaming Commission

LINCOLN, Neb — Gov. Jim Pillen has appointed Antonio Gomez of Jackson to the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission, adding a longtime Siouxland business leader and public servant to the panel.

Commission members serve four-year terms and are subject to approval by the Nebraska Legislature.

Gomez launched Gomez Pallets in South Sioux City in 1983. He has since retired from daily operations, but last year the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce recognized him with the W. Edwards Deming Business Leadership and Entrepreneurial Excellence Award.

Gomez previously served on the Nebraska Commission on Latino Americans from 1981 to 2002. He also served as a Dakota County commissioner for 12 years and was on the Foundation Board for Northeast Community College.

Gomez’s appointment is effective April 1.

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CBS Sports predicts Nebraska-Iowa basketball in the Sweet 16

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

CBS Sports predicts Nebraska-Iowa basketball in the Sweet 16

The Nebraska Cornhuskers will face the Iowa Hawkeyes on Thursday in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. This is the Huskers’ first Sweet 16 in program history, while Iowa is playing in its first Sweet 16 since 1999.

Nebraska defeated Vanderbilt 74-72 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Iowa advanced after beating the defending national champion, the Florida Gators, 73-72.

CBS Sports reporter Isaac Trotter broke down Thursday’s Sweet 16 matchup. Trotter started by looking at the two previous matchups in this series.

These teams have played twice. Iowa won at home in a 57-52 rockfight. Nebraska returned the favor by winning at home, 84-75 in overtime, in another to-the-death brawl.

It’s no secret that Nebraska’s defense caused significant problems for the Iowa offense in the second game, and if the Hawkeyes are going to win the rubber match, Trotter believes that turnovers will be the key.

There are no secrets in the rubber match. Nebraska’s no-middle defense has given Iowa real problems both times. The Hawkeyes turned it over 20% of the time in Game 1 and 26% of the time in Game 2. That can’t happen in the third encounter.

CBS Sports believes that Iowa has the best player on the floor in Bennett Stirtz, but Trotter also believes that Nebraska’s defense is just too much in the end for Iowa.

Iowa has the best player on the floor, Bennett Stirtz, and can hurt Nebraska on the glass, but the Huskers get the nod because of this pick-and-roll defense. You have to be able to guard ball screens effectively to shut down Iowa, and Nebraska has been an elite pick-and-roll defense, rating in the 99th percentile nationally, per Synergy.

In the end, Trotter selected Nebraska as his pick. Should the Huskers advance to the Elite Eight, Nebraska would play the winner of the Illinois-Houston game. Nebraska-Iowa play in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 26 at 6:30 p.m. CT on TBS.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: CBS Sports predicts Nebraska-Iowa basketball in the Sweet 16

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