Huskers Prep for First-Round NCAA Tournament MatchupHuskers Prep for First-Round NCAA Tournament Matchup
Men's Basketball

Huskers Prep for First-Round NCAA Tournament Matchup

 

The Nebraska men’s basketball team had a full day of activity on Thursday as the Huskers continued preparations for Friday night’s first-round NCAA Tournament matchup against Texas A&M.

The Huskers had a private practice in Memphis on Thursday morning, before moving to the FedEx Forum in the afternoon for a media session and public open practice. Husker juniors Brice Williams and Rienk Mast talked about the Huskers’ success this season, but acknowledged that they are looking to accomplish more this weekend.

“It's new. It's exciting. Like you said it's the goal we set out to do when we transferred here,” Williams said. “But at the same time we wanted to win here. We didn't want to just be here. So, while we're excited, I think we're both just trying to write history. Put our name down in history with Nebraska and just make a run.”

Mast echoed Williams’ comment on the opportunity ahead for the Huskers.

“We're not here for just one game. Everybody will say that. If you ask the Texas A&M players, they'll also say we're not here for just one game. But obviously excited to be here. We want to extend this journey a little bit longer.”

Head Coach Fred Hoiberg followed the two players at the podium and discussed the key to success for the Huskers against the ninth-seeded Aggies.

“You've got to be tied together. You have to fight through adversity. This is the biggest thing at this time of year is you have to find a way to stay together when things aren't going your way,” Hoiberg said. “And I can promise you tomorrow night, at some point, that's going to happen to us. And what will define our success is how we handle that adversity. I'm confident, our group has been through a lot. We've been through a lot of highs and lows, and I do think we're playing as good as we played all year right now.”

Following the media session, Nebraska took the court for a 40-minute practice open to the public. The Huskers were greeted in the FedEx Forum by several hundred Husker fans celebrating Nebraska’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament in a decade.

Tipoff for the Nebraska-Texas A&M matchup is set for 5:50 p.m. CT on Friday night. The game will be televised on TNT and can be heard on the Huskers Radio Network.