3 things we learned from Nebraska advancing to the Sweet 16

Nebraska basketball is headed to Houston for the Sweet 16.

Pinch yourself, Nebraska fans, I promise you won’t wake up.

You didn’t dream Braden Frager making a driving layup with 2.2 seconds to go, or a Hail Mary from Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner that was nearly answered.

It all happened. Sam Hoiberg’s put-back. The offensive rebound by Rienk Mast with under a minute to go to tie things up, then the defensive stop, the rebound, and the best fast-break Nebraska basketball has ever seen.

Pryce Sandfort, despite being the big dog for Nebraska, passed to Frager, who was screaming down the court, and with his lungs that he was wide open. The Huskers shared the basketball and won one of the most dramatic victories in Nebraska history, in any sport.

It was fair for Nebraska fans to wonder if they would ever experience something like this. The 0-8 NCAA Tournament record seems like a thing of the past. Saturday wiped away a lot of heartache and tears, but the best part is that Nebraska isn’t done. Not by a long shot.

Before we look ahead to the Sweet 16 against either Florida, the defending national champions, or Iowa, here are three things we learned from a weekend of Nebraska basketball we’ll never forget.

Fred Hoiberg is one of the best head coaches in college basketball

The Big Ten Coach of the Year proved he’s more than just a good story, too. Hoiberg has now taken two different programs — Iowa State and Nebraska — to the Sweet 16.

Just wrap your mind around that. This isn’t Duke, North Carolina, or Kentucky we are talking about.

These NCAA Tournament games are so close. The margin is so razor-thin that having an elite coach can mean everything. Hoiberg is getting a ton of credit for Nebraska’s turnaround. He got a well-deserved Gatorade bath last night.

But, truly, Nebraska would not have won without his genius.

Late in the game and a defense unable to get any stops, Hoiberg switched to a zone defense. It was enough of a wrinkle that Vanderbilt went 3:50 without a bucket.

The Commodores hit a big three and a layup in the last 90 seconds, but with the score tied, Hoiberg’s adjustment helped force a bad shot. Nebraska got the rebound, then instead of calling a timeout and allowing Vanderbilt to set up a defense, Hoiberg trusted his players, who executed.

They were subtle moves, but Nebraska might be heading home if it wasn’t for Fred Hoiberg’s coaching acumen.

Nebraska’s defense is the reason its still playing

After limiting Troy to just 13 field goals, Nebraska more than held its own against one of the best offensive teams in college basketball. Vanderbilt just scored 91 points on Florida last weekend in the SEC Tournament.

The Commodores are legit. They were ranked as the 10th-best team in Kenpom, ahead of even two three seeds.

Teams don’t get underseeded often in the NCAA Tournament with the NET rankings, but Vanderbilt should have been at least No. 4, maybe higher.

The committee didn’t do Nebraska basketball any favors. Yet, it still didn’t matter. Vanderbilt shot 41 percent from the field. The Commodores scored 1.11 points per possession. The same as Nebraska.

There were times when Nebraska looked lost on defense. That’s because Vanderbilt is really damn good. But when everything was on the line, the Huskers held Vanderbilt without a bucket for more than three minutes.

When the game was tied, against a top-10 offense, Nebraska’s top-10 defense delivered a stop. That’s the sign of an elite defense, and that’s one reason to feel encouraged that the Huskers have a chance heading into the Sweet 16, against Florida or Iowa.

Nebraska has the best fans in sports, period

As much as we have to talk about the team, we can’t talk about this past weekend in Oklahoma City without talking about Nebraska fans.

They took over OKC. It wasn’t just the arena either. However, the fans delivered an atmosphere that no other team in the NCAA Tournament had.

Playing in Oklahoma City felt like a home game. It certainly had an impact on the Commodores, as it did on Troy in the first round.

Hell, Florida, the defending national champs, can get ready for a road game against the Huskers in Houston, because that will be packed full of the Big Red faithful, too.

The decibel level inside the Paycom Center during the Nebraska game set a new record. The 116.5 was higher than the previous 112, and this is the same building where the Oklahoma City Thunder won the NBA Finals.

There is no place like Nebraska, and there are no fans like Nebraska fans.

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