Story by NU Athletic Communications

Timely hitting lifted Omaha to a 5-2 victory over the Nebraska softball team Wednesday at Bowlin Stadium.&nbsp;

Nebraska was just 3-for-14 with runners on base in the game. The Huskers had two runners on base with one or no outs in the third, fifth and sixth innings but managed only one run in those three frames.

Ava Bredwell led the Husker offense with a 3-for-3 day that included a home run. Katelyn Caneda went 2-for-3 while Broooke Andrews was 1-for-4 with an RBI.

Kaylin Kinney (10-8) took the loss for Nebraska (16-13). Kinney allowed five runs in 3.0 innings. Sarah Harness pitched well in relief, tossing 4.0 shutout innings and giving up only two hits.

Kamryn Meyer (12-3) earned the win for Omaha (22-7), which won its 11th straight game. Meyer allowed only one run in 4.0 innings while Sydney Nuismer earned her second save of the season after allowing one run in 3.0 innings.

Omaha took a 1-0 lead one batter into the game when Lynsey Tucker led off the game with a solo home run.&nbsp;

Bredwell tied the game when she led off the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run off the scoreboard in left field.

Omaha answered back with four runs in the top of the third. The Huskers committed two errors in the inning and twice failed to get an out on an infield ground ball, but the Mavericks also came up with five hits in the frame, including a pair of RBI singles.

In the bottom of the third, Bella Bacon and Caneda reached on back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second with no outs for the top of the order. But Meyer retired the top three hitters in the Husker lineup to preserve the 4-1 lead.

In the fourth inning, Bredwell led off with a single but was stranded there.

In the fifth, Bacon and Caneda reached to begin the inning before UNO turned a double play. Brooke Andrews then came through with an RBI single to cut the lead to 5-2.

Nebraska had the tying run at the plate with one out and two on in the sixth inning but could not push a run across. The Huskers were then retired in order in the seventh.

Nebraska wraps up its 10-game homestand when it begins Big Ten Conference play by hosting Illinois in a three-game series this weekend.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsTimely hitting lifted Omaha to a 5-2 victory over the Nebraska softball team Wednesday at Bowlin Stadium.&nbsp;Nebraska was just 3-for-14 with runners on base in the game. The Huskers had two runners on base with one or no outs in the third, fifth and sixth innings but managed only one run in those three frames.Ava Bredwell led the Husker offense with a 3-for-3 day that included a home run. Katelyn Caneda went 2-for-3 while Broooke Andrews was 1-for-4 with an RBI.Kaylin Kinney (10-8) took the loss for Nebraska (16-13). Kinney allowed five runs in 3.0 innings. Sarah Harness pitched well in relief, tossing 4.0 shutout innings and giving up only two hits.Kamryn Meyer (12-3) earned the win for Omaha (22-7), which won its 11th straight game. Meyer allowed only one run in 4.0 innings while Sydney Nuismer earned her second save of the season after allowing one run in 3.0 innings.Omaha took a 1-0 lead one batter into the game when Lynsey Tucker led off the game with a solo home run.&nbsp;Bredwell tied the game when she led off the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run off the scoreboard in left field.Omaha answered back with four runs in the top of the third. The Huskers committed two errors in the inning and twice failed to get an out on an infield ground ball, but the Mavericks also came up with five hits in the frame, including a pair of RBI singles.In the bottom of the third, Bella Bacon and Caneda reached on back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second with no outs for the top of the order. But Meyer retired the top three hitters in the Husker lineup to preserve the 4-1 lead.In the fourth inning, Bredwell led off with a single but was stranded there.In the fifth, Bacon and Caneda reached to begin the inning before UNO turned a double play. Brooke Andrews then came through with an RBI single to cut the lead to 5-2.Nebraska had the tying run at the plate with one out and two on in the sixth inning but could not push a run across. The Huskers were then retired in order in the seventh.Nebraska wraps up its 10-game homestand when it begins Big Ten Conference play by hosting Illinois in a three-game series this weekend.Post-Game Notes<ul>
 <li>UNO's home run to begin the game was the first home run off Kaylin Kinney in 26.0 innings.</li><li>Ava Bredwell tied her career high with three hits.</li><li>Katelyn Caneda had hits in her first two at bats to stretch her streak to seven consecutive at bats with a hit and nine consecutive plate appearance reaching base safely</li><li>Billie Andrews went 0-for-4, snapping her streak of 23 consecutive games reaching base safely.</li>
 </ul>

Huskers softball falls to Mavs

The Nebraska women’s gymnastics team (11-9, 4-5 Big Ten) will travel to East Lansing, Mich., to take part in the Big Ten Championships on Saturday, March 23. The Huskers will compete in the first session of the championships, which starts at 11 a.m. (CT) at the Jenison Field House, and will be streamed on the Big Ten Network.&nbsp;

NU concluded its regular season slate with a 198.100-197.375 loss to No. 12 Arkansas on Friday, March 15. Despite falling to the Razorbacks, the Big Red posted its highest team score of the year with its 197.375. It also posted season-high totals on vault (49.375) and beam (49.400).

Emma Spence claimed the all around title with a career-high-tying 39.650. Three Huskers – Spence, Sophia McClelland and Csenge Bácskay – all earned a share of the beam title, each notching a 9.900.&nbsp;

Six Nebraska athletes posted new or tied career highs –&nbsp;Isabel Sikon on vault (9.875) and beam (9.875), Spence in the all-around (39.650) and floor (9.950), Ayzhia Hall on vault (9.900), Whitney Jencks on floor (9.875), McClelland on floor (9.925) and Bácskay on beam (9.900).&nbsp;

The Huskers will take on No. 24 Penn State, Maryland, Illinois, Iowa and Rutgers. NU has already faced all five of its opponents, and has come out victorious against all of them except Maryland.&nbsp;

The current Big Ten standings are below – Team (NQS, High Score).

Fans can follow the Huskers on Facebook at HuskerWGym, Twitter at HuskerWGym or Instagram at huskerwgym for live updates during the meet. The meet will also be streamed live on the Big Ten Network.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsThe Nebraska women’s gymnastics team (11-9, 4-5 Big Ten) will travel to East Lansing, Mich., to take part in the Big Ten Championships on Saturday, March 23. The Huskers will compete in the first session of the championships, which starts at 11 a.m. (CT) at the Jenison Field House, and will be streamed on the Big Ten Network.&nbsp;Last Time OutNU concluded its regular season slate with a 198.100-197.375 loss to No. 12 Arkansas on Friday, March 15. Despite falling to the Razorbacks, the Big Red posted its highest team score of the year with its 197.375. It also posted season-high totals on vault (49.375) and beam (49.400).Emma Spence claimed the all around title with a career-high-tying 39.650. Three Huskers – Spence, Sophia McClelland and Csenge Bácskay – all earned a share of the beam title, each notching a 9.900.&nbsp;Six Nebraska athletes posted new or tied career highs –&nbsp;Isabel Sikon on vault (9.875) and beam (9.875), Spence in the all-around (39.650) and floor (9.950), Ayzhia Hall on vault (9.900), Whitney Jencks on floor (9.875), McClelland on floor (9.925) and Bácskay on beam (9.900).&nbsp;Scouting the CompetitionThe Huskers will take on No. 24 Penn State, Maryland, Illinois, Iowa and Rutgers. NU has already faced all five of its opponents, and has come out victorious against all of them except Maryland.&nbsp;The current Big Ten standings are below – Team (NQS, High Score).<ol>
 <li>Michigan State (197.615, 198.150)</li><li>Michigan (197.545, 197.725)</li><li>Minnesota (197.190, 197.725)</li><li>Ohio State (197.100, 197.350)</li><li>Penn State (196.825, 197.025)</li><li>Nebraska (196.755, 197.375)</li><li>Maryland (196.725, 197.300)</li><li>Illinois (196.630, 197.275)</li><li>Iowa (196.305, 196.525)</li><li>Rutgers (195.815, 196.825)</li>
 </ol>Follow the Huskers&nbsp;Fans can follow the Huskers on Facebook at HuskerWGym, Twitter at HuskerWGym or Instagram at huskerwgym for live updates during the meet. The meet will also be streamed live on the Big Ten Network.

Huskers kick-off Postseason at Big Ten Championships

Will Walsh tossed six scoreless innings and recorded a season-high nine strikeouts in Nebraska’s 3-1 win vs. North Dakota State on Wednesday night at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.

Nebraska (15-5) picked up its fifth win in a row with three runs on seven hits. North Dakota State (5-15) recorded one run, six hits and an error.

Garrett Anglim led the Huskers at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI. Tyler Stone tallied two hits, while Joshua Overbeek, Ben Columbus and Dylan Carey recorded one hit apiece.

Walsh moved to 2-0 on the season after posting his second consecutive quality start. The Leawood, Kan., native allowed just four hits across six scoreless innings, while issuing zero walks with the season-high nine punchouts.&nbsp;

Kyle Froehlich allowed one run on two hits in 1.2 innings of work, before Jalen Worthley struck out the lone batter he faced. Rans Sanders collected his first save with the Huskers after dealing a scoreless inning in the ninth.

Some wild pitching in the first loaded the bases for the Huskers, while a four-pitch walk to Anglim gave the Big Red the 1-0 lead in the opening frame.

Walsh kept the Bison off the board in the second and third innings to keep NDSU scoreless through the first time through the order.

Nebraska doubled its lead in the third, tacking on a second run behind a pair of hits. Case Sanderson was hit by the pitch and moved to third on a one-out single from Stone. Anglim came through with his second RBI of the night, this time lacing a 1-1 pitch to center for an RBI single to plate Sanderson.

Walsh hung scoreless frames in the fourth and fifth, before recording three strikeouts in the top of the sixth to move his strikeout total for the night to nine.

The NU offense generated its third run of the night in the seventh to stretch the lead to 3-0. Sandersson drew a leadoff walk, while Bryce Hughes entered as a pinch-runner and stole second. Anglim followed with a single up the middle to put runners on first and third with one out. Hughes plated Nebraska’s third run on a play where Anglim was caught stealing second to make it 3-0 through seven innings.

NDSU plated its lone run of the night after a two-out RBI triple to the wall in right-center brought the Bison within two. Worthley replaced Froehlich on the mound and struck out the lone batter he faced to keep it a 3-1 advantage for the Big Red.

Sanders took the mound in the ninth and retired the Bison in order to preserve the 3-1 win for the Huskers.

Nebraska wraps up its eight-game homestand this weekend with a three-game series against New Mexico State on Friday-Sunday, March 22-24. First pitch of Friday’s series opener between the Huskers and Aggies is set for 6:05 p.m.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsWill Walsh tossed six scoreless innings and recorded a season-high nine strikeouts in Nebraska’s 3-1 win vs. North Dakota State on Wednesday night at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.Nebraska (15-5) picked up its fifth win in a row with three runs on seven hits. North Dakota State (5-15) recorded one run, six hits and an error.Garrett Anglim led the Huskers at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI. Tyler Stone tallied two hits, while Joshua Overbeek, Ben Columbus and Dylan Carey recorded one hit apiece.Walsh moved to 2-0 on the season after posting his second consecutive quality start. The Leawood, Kan., native allowed just four hits across six scoreless innings, while issuing zero walks with the season-high nine punchouts.&nbsp;Kyle Froehlich allowed one run on two hits in 1.2 innings of work, before Jalen Worthley struck out the lone batter he faced. Rans Sanders collected his first save with the Huskers after dealing a scoreless inning in the ninth.Some wild pitching in the first loaded the bases for the Huskers, while a four-pitch walk to Anglim gave the Big Red the 1-0 lead in the opening frame.Walsh kept the Bison off the board in the second and third innings to keep NDSU scoreless through the first time through the order.Nebraska doubled its lead in the third, tacking on a second run behind a pair of hits. Case Sanderson was hit by the pitch and moved to third on a one-out single from Stone. Anglim came through with his second RBI of the night, this time lacing a 1-1 pitch to center for an RBI single to plate Sanderson.Walsh hung scoreless frames in the fourth and fifth, before recording three strikeouts in the top of the sixth to move his strikeout total for the night to nine.The NU offense generated its third run of the night in the seventh to stretch the lead to 3-0. Sandersson drew a leadoff walk, while Bryce Hughes entered as a pinch-runner and stole second. Anglim followed with a single up the middle to put runners on first and third with one out. Hughes plated Nebraska’s third run on a play where Anglim was caught stealing second to make it 3-0 through seven innings.NDSU plated its lone run of the night after a two-out RBI triple to the wall in right-center brought the Bison within two. Worthley replaced Froehlich on the mound and struck out the lone batter he faced to keep it a 3-1 advantage for the Big Red.Sanders took the mound in the ninth and retired the Bison in order to preserve the 3-1 win for the Huskers.Nebraska wraps up its eight-game homestand this weekend with a three-game series against New Mexico State on Friday-Sunday, March 22-24. First pitch of Friday’s series opener between the Huskers and Aggies is set for 6:05 p.m.

Walsh deals gem in win vs. Bison

Lincoln&nbsp;-&nbsp;Nebraska has agreed to a contract extension with Head Women’s Basketball Coach Amy Williams, as announced by Interim Athletic Director Dennis Leblanc and University of Nebraska Interim President Chris Kabourek on Wednesday.

The new contract with Williams, who has guided Nebraska to three NCAA Tournament appearances including its second in the past three seasons, extends through the 2028-29 season and will pay the Husker coach $950,000 next season, with annual increases in each of the subsequent contract years.

“I would like to thank Interim President Dr. Chris Kabourek, Interim Athletic Director Dennis Leblanc and Executive Associate Athletic Director Keith Zimmer for their consistent leadership for our athletic department and our University as a whole,” Williams said. “I am grateful for their confidence in our leadership and the direction and vision we have for our program. There is a lot of momentum with Nebraska Women’s Basketball, and we are eager to keep chasing excellence. I am greatful for the dedication of our coaching staff, the hard work and commitment of our players, and the unwavering support of our amazing Husker fans.”

Nebraska enters Friday’s NCAA Tournament game against Texas A&amp;M with a 22-11 overall record and a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Albany 1 Regional, after fighting its way to the championship game of the 2024 TIAA Big Ten Tournament at the Target Center in Minneapolis, March 10. The Huskers fell to NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed Iowa in overtime, just a month after knocking off the AP No. 2 Hawkeyes in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 15,000 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Feb. 11.

“Coach Williams has an excellent track record of success in leading our program on the court, including postseason tournament trips in each of the last four seasons,” Leblanc said. “Coach Williams takes great pride in representing the University of Nebraska as an alum, and she sets a standard of excellence for our student-athletes on and off the court. Our women’s basketball program continues to produce a 100 percent graduation success rate every year and helps set the standard in community service and outreach for our department.”

Nebraska has averaged more than 21 wins per season over the last three years and advanced to at least the Big Ten Tournament semifinals in two of the past three seasons under Coach Williams.&nbsp; The Huskers posted 13 wins over NET Top 75 teams in 2023-24 and ranked 15th nationally in average home attendance with nearly 6,100 fans per game.

“This is a huge win for our women’s basketball program and all of Team Nebraska,” Kabourek said. “Under Coach Williams’ leadership, we are experiencing incredible momentum on the court and in the classroom. Coach Williams is a competitor, she loves her alma mater and she is an outstanding role model for the young women in our program. I know she will continue to lead the Huskers to great success in the future.”

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsLincoln&nbsp;-&nbsp;Nebraska has agreed to a contract extension with Head Women’s Basketball Coach Amy Williams, as announced by Interim Athletic Director Dennis Leblanc and University of Nebraska Interim President Chris Kabourek on Wednesday.The new contract with Williams, who has guided Nebraska to three NCAA Tournament appearances including its second in the past three seasons, extends through the 2028-29 season and will pay the Husker coach $950,000 next season, with annual increases in each of the subsequent contract years.“I would like to thank Interim President Dr. Chris Kabourek, Interim Athletic Director Dennis Leblanc and Executive Associate Athletic Director Keith Zimmer for their consistent leadership for our athletic department and our University as a whole,” Williams said. “I am grateful for their confidence in our leadership and the direction and vision we have for our program. There is a lot of momentum with Nebraska Women’s Basketball, and we are eager to keep chasing excellence. I am greatful for the dedication of our coaching staff, the hard work and commitment of our players, and the unwavering support of our amazing Husker fans.”Nebraska enters Friday’s NCAA Tournament game against Texas A&amp;M with a 22-11 overall record and a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Albany 1 Regional, after fighting its way to the championship game of the 2024 TIAA Big Ten Tournament at the Target Center in Minneapolis, March 10. The Huskers fell to NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed Iowa in overtime, just a month after knocking off the AP No. 2 Hawkeyes in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 15,000 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Feb. 11.“Coach Williams has an excellent track record of success in leading our program on the court, including postseason tournament trips in each of the last four seasons,” Leblanc said. “Coach Williams takes great pride in representing the University of Nebraska as an alum, and she sets a standard of excellence for our student-athletes on and off the court. Our women’s basketball program continues to produce a 100 percent graduation success rate every year and helps set the standard in community service and outreach for our department.”Nebraska has averaged more than 21 wins per season over the last three years and advanced to at least the Big Ten Tournament semifinals in two of the past three seasons under Coach Williams.&nbsp; The Huskers posted 13 wins over NET Top 75 teams in 2023-24 and ranked 15th nationally in average home attendance with nearly 6,100 fans per game.“This is a huge win for our women’s basketball program and all of Team Nebraska,” Kabourek said. “Under Coach Williams’ leadership, we are experiencing incredible momentum on the court and in the classroom. Coach Williams is a competitor, she loves her alma mater and she is an outstanding role model for the young women in our program. I know she will continue to lead the Huskers to great success in the future.”

Huskers announce Contract Extension for Williams

Emma Spence, Sophia McClelland and Kinsey Davis were given All-Big Ten honors, the conference announced on Wednesday.

Spence was named a member of the All-Big Ten First Team, while McClelland and Davis were named to the All-Big Ten Second Team.&nbsp;

This marks Davis’ third all-conference honor, as she was tabbed a First-Team All-Big Ten member in 2022 and a Second-Team All-Big Ten member in 2023. Spence and McClelland both notched their second honor. Spence earned First-Team All-Conference honors and McClelland garnered Second-Team All-Conference honors in 2023.

So far this season, Spence, a Canada native, has earned career highs on vault (9.925), floor (9.950) and in the all-around (39.650), along with posting season highs of 9.900 or above in every event. She was named a Big Ten Co-Gymnast of the Week on Tuesday for her standout performance against Arkansas, where she tied career highs on floor and in the all-around. The junior has earned 13 event titles this season – one on vault, four on bars, one on beam, two on floor and five in the all-around.&nbsp;

McClelland, a senior from Camarillo, Calif., has been a mainstay in the Huskers’ lineup this season, competing in every meet but one and claiming eight event titles along the way – five on beam, two on floor and one in the all-around. She’s earned career highs of 9.950 on beam and 9.925 on floor.&nbsp;

Davis has been named a Big Ten Co-Event Specialist of the Week twice this season, both times after earning a career-high 9.975 on bars. The senior from Huntersville, N.C., has grabbed three event titles on bars this season and has competed in the event in every meet this season, along with competing on vault in eight meets.&nbsp;

Fourteen Huskers also earned Academic All-Big Ten honors – Katelyn Barth, Clara Colombo, Martina Comin, Kinsey Davis, Emalee Frost, Allie Gard, Genesis Gibson, Lauren Homecillo, Katie Kuenemann, Sophia McClelland, Halle Rourke, Emma Simpton, Emma Spence and Annie Worley.&nbsp;

NU will travel to East Lansing, Mich., to compete in the Big Ten Championships this Saturday, March 23. The Huskers are one of six teams in Session I of the championships, which will start at 11 a.m. (CT) and will be streamed on the Big Ten Network.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsEmma Spence, Sophia McClelland and Kinsey Davis were given All-Big Ten honors, the conference announced on Wednesday.Spence was named a member of the All-Big Ten First Team, while McClelland and Davis were named to the All-Big Ten Second Team.&nbsp;This marks Davis’ third all-conference honor, as she was tabbed a First-Team All-Big Ten member in 2022 and a Second-Team All-Big Ten member in 2023. Spence and McClelland both notched their second honor. Spence earned First-Team All-Conference honors and McClelland garnered Second-Team All-Conference honors in 2023.So far this season, Spence, a Canada native, has earned career highs on vault (9.925), floor (9.950) and in the all-around (39.650), along with posting season highs of 9.900 or above in every event. She was named a Big Ten Co-Gymnast of the Week on Tuesday for her standout performance against Arkansas, where she tied career highs on floor and in the all-around. The junior has earned 13 event titles this season – one on vault, four on bars, one on beam, two on floor and five in the all-around.&nbsp;McClelland, a senior from Camarillo, Calif., has been a mainstay in the Huskers’ lineup this season, competing in every meet but one and claiming eight event titles along the way – five on beam, two on floor and one in the all-around. She’s earned career highs of 9.950 on beam and 9.925 on floor.&nbsp;Davis has been named a Big Ten Co-Event Specialist of the Week twice this season, both times after earning a career-high 9.975 on bars. The senior from Huntersville, N.C., has grabbed three event titles on bars this season and has competed in the event in every meet this season, along with competing on vault in eight meets.&nbsp;Fourteen Huskers also earned Academic All-Big Ten honors – Katelyn Barth, Clara Colombo, Martina Comin, Kinsey Davis, Emalee Frost, Allie Gard, Genesis Gibson, Lauren Homecillo, Katie Kuenemann, Sophia McClelland, Halle Rourke, Emma Simpton, Emma Spence and Annie Worley.&nbsp;NU will travel to East Lansing, Mich., to compete in the Big Ten Championships this Saturday, March 23. The Huskers are one of six teams in Session I of the championships, which will start at 11 a.m. (CT) and will be streamed on the Big Ten Network.

Three Huskers named to All-Big Ten Teams

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">2024 Nebraska Football Pro Day Live from Lincoln, Nebraska <a href="https://t.co/uMPOINeAah">https://t.co/uMPOINeAah</a>&mdash; Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/HuskerFootball/status/1770457801250230415?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

2024 Nebraska Football Pro Day

University of Nebraska Interim President Chris Kabourek announced today that he has named Troy Dannen, a leading voice in collegiate athletics with extensive experience as an athletic director and deep ties to the Midwest and Big Ten, as Nebraska’s next AD, effective Friday.

Dannen currently serves as Director of Athletics at the University of Washington, a fellow Big Ten institution. Previously, he was AD at Tulane, and before that led athletics at his alma mater, the University of Northern Iowa. Dannen brings Midwestern roots, having grown up on a farm just outside Marshalltown, Iowa.

“From my first conversation with Troy Dannen, I knew he was a perfect fit for Nebraska,” Kabourek said. “He is a fierce competitor, he holds himself and his programs to uncommonly high standards, and he cares personally about the success of student-athletes in sports, school and life. Troy sees the vision and momentum we have here at Nebraska, from our bold investments in facilities to our record success in the classroom to our bold plan to elevate our national reputation and competitiveness, and he is excited to be a part of it. I am thrilled that we’ve found someone who is 100% aligned with our high expectations and will be all-in on Nebraska.

“Husker Nation, we’ve found a winner in Troy Dannen. I can’t wait to welcome him and his family to Nebraska.”

Dannen said: “Joining the Nebraska family is truly an honor. My family and I are humbled by the opportunity to be part of such a proud athletics program, institution, community and state. Growing up in Iowa, I watched a lot of Nebraska football on Saturdays with my family. I’ve spent a lot of time in the state and I’ve found that we share a similar approach to life, work and sports: Work hard, stay humble, compete and expect to win.

“There is a storied tradition at Nebraska, but more work to be done. I truly believe our best years are ahead of us. I couldn’t be more grateful to Interim President Chris Kabourek for this opportunity. Chris has championed an inspiring vision for excellence across the University of Nebraska and he and I are completely aligned on where Nebraska needs to go in the future. I look forward to doing my part to helping Nebraska win championships across the board, graduate our student-athletes and elevate the world-class reputation of the University of Nebraska. I can’t wait to arrive in Nebraska and get to work.”

Head Football Coach Matt Rhule said: “I’m so fired up about this hire. Interim President Kabourek has found exactly the right person to lead the Huskers forward. Troy sees what we see – that Nebraska is a special place, with special people, a great vision and the courage to be unabashed about wanting to win across the board. The fact that someone of Troy’s caliber wants to join Team Nebraska will light a fire across our entire department. Let’s go!”

Dannen has been at Washington since 2023. He’s also in his fourth year as chair of the NCAA Football Competition Committee and as an Executive Committee member of the Football Oversight Committee.

From 2021 through 2023, Dannen served on the NCAA Constitution Committee and then the Division I Transformation Committee, as one of a small group of chancellors, presidents, directors of athletics, commissioners and Faculty Athletic Representatives across all three NCAA divisions tasked with charting a future path for college athletics. In 2022, Dannen was a finalist for&nbsp;Sports Business Journal’s&nbsp;Athletic Director of the Year award, and he received the Distinguished American Award by the Sugar Bowl Chapter of the National Football Foundation.He arrived at Washington after serving as Director of Athletics at Tulane University since 2015. While at Tulane, Green Wave student-athletes earned 49 All-American honors, won a national championship, 21 conference championships and earned 41 postseason appearances.In 2022-23, Tulane football won their first American Athletic Conference football championship, and won the Cotton Bowl over USC, ranked 9th in the nation at that time. Men’s basketball won 20 regular season games for the first time in two decades. Men’s tennis advanced to its sixth NCAA tournament in seven years, both bowling and beach volleyball finished ranked in the Top 20, and baseball won the conference championship.Tulane’s football program participated in an unprecedented three consecutive bowl games from 2018-20, winning back-to-back bowl games for the first time in 128 years of football at the University.In the classroom, Tulane student-athletes excelled at a high-level. At the end of the 2022-2023 academic year, over 68% of Green Wave student-athletes earned a 3.0 GPA or better, with a 93% Graduation Success Rate and a record-setting department Academic Progress Report of 992, with seven teams earning a perfect 1000 APR score.Dannen spearheaded fundraising efforts and numerous capital projects at Tulane.&nbsp;He helped secure the largest unrestricted gift in Tulane Athletics history, an endowment gift which funds the operation of a new sport (sailing), and a $10 million lead gift for capital renovations, which is the second largest gift in department history.&nbsp;In addition, marketing and licensing revenue grew four-fold, and in 2022-23, Tulane football, basketball and volleyball set ticket sales and revenue records.&nbsp;Under Dannen’s leadership, the Green Wave Club Annual Fund grew by 40% in terms of donors, and 45% in terms of dollars.Increases in fundraising and major gift donors positively impacted capital project development and completion. A $13 million renovation to the Reilly Natatorium, home of the swimming and diving program, as well as $8 million in renovations to locker rooms and the Wilson Center sports medicine center were completed in 2023. Dannen also oversaw construction of a new dining facility, weight room, basketball and volleyball locker rooms. Tulane also completed a $2.4 million academic center renovation and a $5 million television and digital production center.Dannen came to Tulane after serving eight years as the Director of Athletics at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) from 2008-15. During his tenure, the Panthers enjoyed success at both the conference and national levels, as UNI was recognized with 39 All-Americans, 13 Coaches of the Year and nine Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Players of the Year. UNI football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, volleyball and softball combined to reach 15 NCAA tournaments and 20 postseason berths during that stretch. For his efforts, Dannen was recognized as NACDA’s FCS Athletic Director of the Year in 2014.Prior to his time at UNI, Dannen served as the Iowa High School Athletic Union’s Executive Director for seven years.&nbsp;Dannen graduated from UNI in 1989 with a degree in communications. He is married to Amy, and together they have four children: Elle, Emily, Holly and William.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsUniversity of Nebraska Interim President Chris Kabourek announced today that he has named Troy Dannen, a leading voice in collegiate athletics with extensive experience as an athletic director and deep ties to the Midwest and Big Ten, as Nebraska’s next AD, effective Friday.Dannen currently serves as Director of Athletics at the University of Washington, a fellow Big Ten institution. Previously, he was AD at Tulane, and before that led athletics at his alma mater, the University of Northern Iowa. Dannen brings Midwestern roots, having grown up on a farm just outside Marshalltown, Iowa.“From my first conversation with Troy Dannen, I knew he was a perfect fit for Nebraska,” Kabourek said. “He is a fierce competitor, he holds himself and his programs to uncommonly high standards, and he cares personally about the success of student-athletes in sports, school and life. Troy sees the vision and momentum we have here at Nebraska, from our bold investments in facilities to our record success in the classroom to our bold plan to elevate our national reputation and competitiveness, and he is excited to be a part of it. I am thrilled that we’ve found someone who is 100% aligned with our high expectations and will be all-in on Nebraska.“Husker Nation, we’ve found a winner in Troy Dannen. I can’t wait to welcome him and his family to Nebraska.”Dannen said: “Joining the Nebraska family is truly an honor. My family and I are humbled by the opportunity to be part of such a proud athletics program, institution, community and state. Growing up in Iowa, I watched a lot of Nebraska football on Saturdays with my family. I’ve spent a lot of time in the state and I’ve found that we share a similar approach to life, work and sports: Work hard, stay humble, compete and expect to win.“There is a storied tradition at Nebraska, but more work to be done. I truly believe our best years are ahead of us. I couldn’t be more grateful to Interim President Chris Kabourek for this opportunity. Chris has championed an inspiring vision for excellence across the University of Nebraska and he and I are completely aligned on where Nebraska needs to go in the future. I look forward to doing my part to helping Nebraska win championships across the board, graduate our student-athletes and elevate the world-class reputation of the University of Nebraska. I can’t wait to arrive in Nebraska and get to work.”Head Football Coach Matt Rhule said: “I’m so fired up about this hire. Interim President Kabourek has found exactly the right person to lead the Huskers forward. Troy sees what we see – that Nebraska is a special place, with special people, a great vision and the courage to be unabashed about wanting to win across the board. The fact that someone of Troy’s caliber wants to join Team Nebraska will light a fire across our entire department. Let’s go!”Dannen has been at Washington since 2023. He’s also in his fourth year as chair of the NCAA Football Competition Committee and as an Executive Committee member of the Football Oversight Committee.From 2021 through 2023, Dannen served on the NCAA Constitution Committee and then the Division I Transformation Committee, as one of a small group of chancellors, presidents, directors of athletics, commissioners and Faculty Athletic Representatives across all three NCAA divisions tasked with charting a future path for college athletics. In 2022, Dannen was a finalist for&nbsp;Sports Business Journal’s&nbsp;Athletic Director of the Year award, and he received the Distinguished American Award by the Sugar Bowl Chapter of the National Football Foundation.He arrived at Washington after serving as Director of Athletics at Tulane University since 2015. While at Tulane, Green Wave student-athletes earned 49 All-American honors, won a national championship, 21 conference championships and earned 41 postseason appearances.In 2022-23, Tulane football won their first American Athletic Conference football championship, and won the Cotton Bowl over USC, ranked 9th in the nation at that time. Men’s basketball won 20 regular season games for the first time in two decades. Men’s tennis advanced to its sixth NCAA tournament in seven years, both bowling and beach volleyball finished ranked in the Top 20, and baseball won the conference championship.Tulane’s football program participated in an unprecedented three consecutive bowl games from 2018-20, winning back-to-back bowl games for the first time in 128 years of football at the University.In the classroom, Tulane student-athletes excelled at a high-level. At the end of the 2022-2023 academic year, over 68% of Green Wave student-athletes earned a 3.0 GPA or better, with a 93% Graduation Success Rate and a record-setting department Academic Progress Report of 992, with seven teams earning a perfect 1000 APR score.Dannen spearheaded fundraising efforts and numerous capital projects at Tulane.&nbsp;He helped secure the largest unrestricted gift in Tulane Athletics history, an endowment gift which funds the operation of a new sport (sailing), and a $10 million lead gift for capital renovations, which is the second largest gift in department history.&nbsp;In addition, marketing and licensing revenue grew four-fold, and in 2022-23, Tulane football, basketball and volleyball set ticket sales and revenue records.&nbsp;Under Dannen’s leadership, the Green Wave Club Annual Fund grew by 40% in terms of donors, and 45% in terms of dollars.Increases in fundraising and major gift donors positively impacted capital project development and completion. A $13 million renovation to the Reilly Natatorium, home of the swimming and diving program, as well as $8 million in renovations to locker rooms and the Wilson Center sports medicine center were completed in 2023. Dannen also oversaw construction of a new dining facility, weight room, basketball and volleyball locker rooms. Tulane also completed a $2.4 million academic center renovation and a $5 million television and digital production center.Dannen came to Tulane after serving eight years as the Director of Athletics at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) from 2008-15. During his tenure, the Panthers enjoyed success at both the conference and national levels, as UNI was recognized with 39 All-Americans, 13 Coaches of the Year and nine Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Players of the Year. UNI football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, volleyball and softball combined to reach 15 NCAA tournaments and 20 postseason berths during that stretch. For his efforts, Dannen was recognized as NACDA’s FCS Athletic Director of the Year in 2014.Prior to his time at UNI, Dannen served as the Iowa High School Athletic Union’s Executive Director for seven years.&nbsp;Dannen graduated from UNI in 1989 with a degree in communications. He is married to Amy, and together they have four children: Elle, Emily, Holly and William.

Troy Dannen named Nebraska Director of Athletics

The Nebraska men's basketball team makes its first NCAA appearance in a decade, as the Huskers are the No. 8 seed in the South Regional. The Huskers (23-10) open tournament action on Friday evening when they face ninth-seeded Texas A&amp;M (20-14). Tipoff is set for 5:50 p.m. (central) and the game will be televised by TNT and carried on the Huskers Radio Network.

Under the direction of Big Ten Coach of the Year Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska’s 23 wins are the most since the 1990-91 season and the second-highest total in school history.&nbsp; The Huskers are coming off a Big Ten semifinal appearance, as the Huskers dropped a 98-87 decision to No. 13 Illinois on March 15.

Nebraska features a balanced attack led by All-Big Ten performers Keisei Tominaga and Rienk Mast. Tominaga, a two-time All-Big Ten honoree, leads Nebraska in scoring at 14.9 points per game and has a team-high 71 3-pointers. Mast, a 6-foot-10 junior forward, averages 12.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in his first season at Nebraska and leads the Huskers in both rebounds and assists.&nbsp; The Huskers feature four players who average double figures in Brice Williams (13.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and Juwan Gary (11.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and eight players who average at least 18 minutes per contest.

The Huskers average 77.6 points per game to rank fourth in the Big Ten and is NU’s highest scoring average since the 1995-96 season. NU leads the Big Ten in 3-pointers per game (9.5/gm) while its 312 3-pointers shattered the previous school mark of 270 set in 2019.

Texas A&amp;M is 20-14 on the season after losing to Florida, 95-90, in the SEC semifinals on Saturday. The Aggies had won five straight before the loss to the Gators, including a 97-87 win over Kentucky in the quarterfinals. Two-time All-SEC guard Wade Taylor IV paces the Aggie attack with 18.9 points and 4.0 points per game, while Tyrence Radford chips in 16.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.

The winner of the NU/Texas A&amp;M matchup will face the winner of the game between No. 1 seed Houston and No. 16 seed Longwood on Sunday. The start time and TV info will be determined following Friday's games.&nbsp;

Nebraska's NCAA Tournament History

The 2024 NCAA Tournament marks Nebraska’s eighth NCAA Tournament appearance and 27th postseason appearance in school history (eight NCAAs, 19 NITs). NU makes its first appearance since the 2013-14 campaign and second since 1998.

The Huskers made their first appearance in 1986 and made four straight appearances in the early 1990s, led by Rich King and Eric Piatkowski. Nebraska returned to the NCAAs in 1998 behind NBA first-round pick Tyronn Lue while its most recent appearance came in 2014.

• Fred Hoiberg is the fourth Husker coach to take his team to the NCAAs, joining Moe Iba (1986), Danny Nee (1991-92-93-94-98) and Tim Miles (2014). It will be the fifth NCAA appearance of his career, as he guided Iowa State to four straight NCAAs between 2012 and 2015.&nbsp; In addition, Hoiberg's grandfather, Jerry Bush, guided Toledo to an appearance in the 1954 NCAA Tournament.

• Junior forward Juwan Gary is the only active Husker with NCAA Tournament experience, as he played in two tournaments in his time at Alabama, including the Crimson Tide’s 2021 run to the Sweet 16.

• Nebraska's 23 wins this season are the most by Nebraska since the 1990-91 season. It ranks second on Nebraska's single-season win chart.

• Nebraska has increased its win total in each of the past three years, marking the first time NU has done that since the mid-1960s (1963-64 to 1965-66).&nbsp; According to BTN Research, Nebraska is one of four teams nationally and the only team in a power conference to improve its win total by at least six games in each of the past two seasons (as of March 18). The others are James Madison, Lamar and South Florida.&nbsp;

In addition, the Huskers have also improved their conference win percentage in each of the past four seasons, culminating with a 12-8 mark in 2023-24.

• Nebraska is one of 23 teams nationally that ranks in the top 50 both in offensive and defensive efficiency in KenPom entering the NCAA Tournament. It marks the first time that Nebraska has been ranked in the top 50 of offensive and defensive efficiency in the KenPom era (1996-97).

• Nebraska has two top-10 wins for the first time since 2013-14 and the sixth time in school history (2023-24, 2013-14, 1993-94, 1991-92, 1990-91 and 1957-58).&nbsp; The 1957-58 team was coached by Jerry Bush, the grandfather of current Husker Head Coach Fred Hoiberg.

• Over the past two seasons, NU has won 21 conference games, the highest two-year total since the 1965-66 and 1966-67 teams won 22 conference tilts. The last two seasons under Fred Hoiberg mark just the fourth time in school history that Nebraska has won 20 or more conference games in a two-year span.

• The Huskers finished the regular season with an 18-1 record inside Pinnacle Bank Arena, setting a single-season mark for home wins in a season. The .947 mark is NU's best home mark by winning percentage since 1965-66. NU went a perfect 10-0 at home in Big Ten play, marking the third time NU has posted an unblemished home conference mark since World War II (also 1965-66, 2017-18). The other seasons with a perfect conference record were between 1908 and 1921.

• Nebraska enters the NCAA Tournament averaging 77.6 points per game.&nbsp; It is an increase of nearly nine points per game from last year and NU's highest scoring average since 1995-96 (80.2 ppg).&nbsp; NU's highest average since joining the Big Ten is 73.3 points per game in 2021-22.

NU has climbed from 149th to 36th nationally in offensive efficiency in KenPom as of March 18.

•&nbsp; The Huskers have been one of the most consistent teams in the Big Ten for more than a year. NU is 29-13 over the last 39 games dating back to Feb. 1, 2023, which ranks second only to Purdue in the Big Ten in winning percentage in that span.

• The Huskers are 25-7 under Fred Hoiberg when scoring at least 80 points, including 20-4 over the last three seasons. The 98-87 loss to No. 13 Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament marked the first time in the last three seasons that Nebraska scored 80 or more points and lost in regulation.

• Nebraska enters the NCAA Tournament shooting 75.4 percent from the foul line. It is the Huskers' best season from the charity stripe since the 2011-12 team set a school record with a .766 free throw percentage.

• Nebraska's bench has been productive all season, averaging a Big Ten best 21.9 points per game as of March 18.

• The 2024 season marks the fourth time that both the Husker men and women reached the NCAA Tournament (also 1993, 1998 and 2014). The Husker women are 22-11 heading into their first-round matchup with Texas A&amp;M on Friday night. The 2023-24 season marks the first time that both the Husker men's and women's programs won at least 22 games in the same season.&nbsp; Nebraska is one of 22 programs nationally and just two in the Big Ten - along with Michigan State - to have both their men's and women's teams reach the 2024 NCAA Tournament.&nbsp; Nebraska is one of 12 teams with both teams seeded eighth or higher.

• A few Huskers are approaching milestones heading into Friday's NCAA Tournament opener. Keisei Tominaga: Ranks eighth on NU's single-season list with 71 3-pointers and needs eight to move into a tie for sixth place with Tyronn Lue (1998) and Cary Cochran (2001)...he can climb NU's career list as he has 173 and is within striking distance of Brian Conklin (176, seventh) and Erick Strickland (179, sixth)...Tominaga is also three points away from tying Herschell Turner for 30th on NU's career scoring list. C.J. Wilcher: With 144 career 3-pointers, he is two 3-pointers from tying Cookie Belcher for 10th on NU's career 3-point chart (146).&nbsp; Rienk Mast: Needs 11 points to reach 1,400 points for his career and is six shy of 900 career rebounds.

1990-91 - Nebraska's 23 wins are the most since the 1990-91 team set a school record with 26 wins.

9.5 - NU tops the Big Ten and ranks 26th nationally with 9.5 3-pointers per game as of March 18. The per game average would match the single-season school record for 3-pointers per game (9.5/gm, 2001-02). &nbsp;The Huskers' 312 3-pointers is a school record (previous, 270 in 2018-19), while the Huskers are 11-4 this season when hitting at least 10 3-pointers in a game.&nbsp;

25 - Nebraska has won 25 straight games when out-rebounding its opponent dating back to Nov. 27, 2022, against Florida State. The Huskers are a perfect 16-0 this season when out-rebounding foes.

22 - Nebraska has won 22 straight games dating back to last season when holding an opponent to 70 points or less. This season, NU is 18-0 following the win over Indiana on March 15.

8 - Nebraska is one of eight teams in the country to have at least five 1,000-point scorers on its roster. The group includes Josiah Allick, Jarron Coleman, Rienk Mast, Keisei Tominaga and Brice Williams. St. John's with six is the only program with more 1,000-point scorers (six) on its roster.

.939 - C.J. &nbsp;Wilcher's free throw percentage this season, as he has hit 31 of 33 from the foul line. Wilcher was a perfect 23-of-23 in Big Ten play and has hit 28 straight free throws dating back to Nov. 9.

15.6 - Brice Williams is averaging 15.6 points in eight career postseason games (conference tournament and 2023 CBI), well above his career scoring average of 10.2 points per game. Over the last two years, that number jumps to &nbsp;17.7 after his performance in the 2024 Big Ten Tournament.

2 - Rienk Mast became only the second Husker in the last 25 years to post a 30-point, 10-rebound game with his performance against Ohio State on Jan. 24. He joined Aleks Maric, who accomplished the feat four times in his career from 2005 to 2008.

1.38 - Nebraska's assist-to-turnover ratio this season, which is on pace to be NU's best assist-to-turnover ratio since 1985-86 (1.64).&nbsp;

9 - Nine members of the Husker men's basketball team were named to the NU Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll for the fall semester announced on Feb. 22. The group includes Josiah Allick, Henry Burt, Jeffrey Grace III, Sam Hoiberg, Rienk Mast, Eli Rice, Keisei Tominaga, &nbsp;C.J. Wilcher and Brice Williams. Mast was one of 72 Huskers across all sports with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

14,597 - Nebraska ranks 15th nationally in average attendance, averaging 14,597 fans per game. Nebraska has been ranked in the top 25 nationally in attendance every year since Pinnacle Bank Arena opened in 2013-14, except for 2020-21 when no fans were allowed.

11 - Fred Hoiberg has 11 career wins against top-10 teams and 28 wins over ranked opponents in his collegiate coaching career. This season, NU has wins over No. 1 Purdue and No. 6 Wisconsin.&nbsp;

Texas A&amp;M comes into Friday's NCAA Tournament opener with a 20-14 record after reaching the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament. The Aggies were tested in non-conference action with wins over Iowa State and Ohio State while suffering close losses to Houston, Florida Atlantic and Houston. The Aggies played some of their best basketball down the stretch, winning five straight games before losing to Florida in the semifinals.

Buzz Williams is in his fifth season at Texas A&amp;M and has guided the Aggies to three straight 20-win seasons and back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. Previously, he spent five seasons at Virginia Tech, six seasons at Marquette and one season at New Orleans.

The Aggies' strength is on the glass where Texas A&amp;M ranks seventh nationally in rebounding margin (+8.9 per game) while leading the nation with 17 offensive boards per contest. Andersson Garcia, who began his career at Mississippi State, averages 9.4 rebounds per game to pace the Aggies, but it is a group effort with four players averaging at least five rebounds per contest. Garcia is a member of the SEC All-Defensive Team as he averages 1.3 steals per contest. Wade Taylor IV is the catalyst of the Aggie attack, as he tops the team in scoring (18.9 ppg), assists (4.0 apg) and steals (1.9 spg). Taylor ranks in the top 10 in the SEC in scoring (fourth), steals (fourth) and assists (ninth). Tyrece Radford is the Aggies' other double-figure scorer, as he averages 16.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.

Series History: Friday's NCAA opener will mark the 21st meeting between the two programs, but the first since the 2010-11 season. Nebraska leads the all-time series, 12-8, while 16 of the 20 matchups came between 1996-97 and 2010-11, when both programs were members of the Big 12 Conference. The last meeting between the two teams was a 57-48 win over No. 13 Texas A&amp;M at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Jan. 29, 2011. In that game, Jorge Brian Diaz had 16 points to pace three Huskers in double figures, while Nebraska overcame a 31-24 halftime deficit by holding Texas A&amp;M to 17 second-half points on 24 percent shooting.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsThe Nebraska men's basketball team makes its first NCAA appearance in a decade, as the Huskers are the No. 8 seed in the South Regional. The Huskers (23-10) open tournament action on Friday evening when they face ninth-seeded Texas A&amp;M (20-14). Tipoff is set for 5:50 p.m. (central) and the game will be televised by TNT and carried on the Huskers Radio Network.Under the direction of Big Ten Coach of the Year Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska’s 23 wins are the most since the 1990-91 season and the second-highest total in school history.&nbsp; The Huskers are coming off a Big Ten semifinal appearance, as the Huskers dropped a 98-87 decision to No. 13 Illinois on March 15.Nebraska features a balanced attack led by All-Big Ten performers Keisei Tominaga and Rienk Mast. Tominaga, a two-time All-Big Ten honoree, leads Nebraska in scoring at 14.9 points per game and has a team-high 71 3-pointers. Mast, a 6-foot-10 junior forward, averages 12.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in his first season at Nebraska and leads the Huskers in both rebounds and assists.&nbsp; The Huskers feature four players who average double figures in Brice Williams (13.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and Juwan Gary (11.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and eight players who average at least 18 minutes per contest.The Huskers average 77.6 points per game to rank fourth in the Big Ten and is NU’s highest scoring average since the 1995-96 season. NU leads the Big Ten in 3-pointers per game (9.5/gm) while its 312 3-pointers shattered the previous school mark of 270 set in 2019.Texas A&amp;M is 20-14 on the season after losing to Florida, 95-90, in the SEC semifinals on Saturday. The Aggies had won five straight before the loss to the Gators, including a 97-87 win over Kentucky in the quarterfinals. Two-time All-SEC guard Wade Taylor IV paces the Aggie attack with 18.9 points and 4.0 points per game, while Tyrence Radford chips in 16.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.The winner of the NU/Texas A&amp;M matchup will face the winner of the game between No. 1 seed Houston and No. 16 seed Longwood on Sunday. The start time and TV info will be determined following Friday's games.&nbsp;Nebraska's NCAA Tournament HistoryThe 2024 NCAA Tournament marks Nebraska’s eighth NCAA Tournament appearance and 27th postseason appearance in school history (eight NCAAs, 19 NITs). NU makes its first appearance since the 2013-14 campaign and second since 1998.The Huskers made their first appearance in 1986 and made four straight appearances in the early 1990s, led by Rich King and Eric Piatkowski. Nebraska returned to the NCAAs in 1998 behind NBA first-round pick Tyronn Lue while its most recent appearance came in 2014.• Fred Hoiberg is the fourth Husker coach to take his team to the NCAAs, joining Moe Iba (1986), Danny Nee (1991-92-93-94-98) and Tim Miles (2014). It will be the fifth NCAA appearance of his career, as he guided Iowa State to four straight NCAAs between 2012 and 2015.&nbsp; In addition, Hoiberg's grandfather, Jerry Bush, guided Toledo to an appearance in the 1954 NCAA Tournament.• Junior forward Juwan Gary is the only active Husker with NCAA Tournament experience, as he played in two tournaments in his time at Alabama, including the Crimson Tide’s 2021 run to the Sweet 16.&nbsp;Worth Noting• Nebraska's 23 wins this season are the most by Nebraska since the 1990-91 season. It ranks second on Nebraska's single-season win chart.• Nebraska has increased its win total in each of the past three years, marking the first time NU has done that since the mid-1960s (1963-64 to 1965-66).&nbsp; According to BTN Research, Nebraska is one of four teams nationally and the only team in a power conference to improve its win total by at least six games in each of the past two seasons (as of March 18). The others are James Madison, Lamar and South Florida.&nbsp;In addition, the Huskers have also improved their conference win percentage in each of the past four seasons, culminating with a 12-8 mark in 2023-24.• Nebraska is one of 23 teams nationally that ranks in the top 50 both in offensive and defensive efficiency in KenPom entering the NCAA Tournament. It marks the first time that Nebraska has been ranked in the top 50 of offensive and defensive efficiency in the KenPom era (1996-97).• Nebraska has two top-10 wins for the first time since 2013-14 and the sixth time in school history (2023-24, 2013-14, 1993-94, 1991-92, 1990-91 and 1957-58).&nbsp; The 1957-58 team was coached by Jerry Bush, the grandfather of current Husker Head Coach Fred Hoiberg.• Over the past two seasons, NU has won 21 conference games, the highest two-year total since the 1965-66 and 1966-67 teams won 22 conference tilts. The last two seasons under Fred Hoiberg mark just the fourth time in school history that Nebraska has won 20 or more conference games in a two-year span.• The Huskers finished the regular season with an 18-1 record inside Pinnacle Bank Arena, setting a single-season mark for home wins in a season. The .947 mark is NU's best home mark by winning percentage since 1965-66. NU went a perfect 10-0 at home in Big Ten play, marking the third time NU has posted an unblemished home conference mark since World War II (also 1965-66, 2017-18). The other seasons with a perfect conference record were between 1908 and 1921.• Nebraska enters the NCAA Tournament averaging 77.6 points per game.&nbsp; It is an increase of nearly nine points per game from last year and NU's highest scoring average since 1995-96 (80.2 ppg).&nbsp; NU's highest average since joining the Big Ten is 73.3 points per game in 2021-22.NU has climbed from 149th to 36th nationally in offensive efficiency in KenPom as of March 18.•&nbsp; The Huskers have been one of the most consistent teams in the Big Ten for more than a year. NU is 29-13 over the last 39 games dating back to Feb. 1, 2023, which ranks second only to Purdue in the Big Ten in winning percentage in that span.• The Huskers are 25-7 under Fred Hoiberg when scoring at least 80 points, including 20-4 over the last three seasons. The 98-87 loss to No. 13 Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament marked the first time in the last three seasons that Nebraska scored 80 or more points and lost in regulation.• Nebraska enters the NCAA Tournament shooting 75.4 percent from the foul line. It is the Huskers' best season from the charity stripe since the 2011-12 team set a school record with a .766 free throw percentage.• Nebraska's bench has been productive all season, averaging a Big Ten best 21.9 points per game as of March 18.• The 2024 season marks the fourth time that both the Husker men and women reached the NCAA Tournament (also 1993, 1998 and 2014). The Husker women are 22-11 heading into their first-round matchup with Texas A&amp;M on Friday night. The 2023-24 season marks the first time that both the Husker men's and women's programs won at least 22 games in the same season.&nbsp; Nebraska is one of 22 programs nationally and just two in the Big Ten - along with Michigan State - to have both their men's and women's teams reach the 2024 NCAA Tournament.&nbsp; Nebraska is one of 12 teams with both teams seeded eighth or higher.• A few Huskers are approaching milestones heading into Friday's NCAA Tournament opener. Keisei Tominaga: Ranks eighth on NU's single-season list with 71 3-pointers and needs eight to move into a tie for sixth place with Tyronn Lue (1998) and Cary Cochran (2001)...he can climb NU's career list as he has 173 and is within striking distance of Brian Conklin (176, seventh) and Erick Strickland (179, sixth)...Tominaga is also three points away from tying Herschell Turner for 30th on NU's career scoring list. C.J. Wilcher: With 144 career 3-pointers, he is two 3-pointers from tying Cookie Belcher for 10th on NU's career 3-point chart (146).&nbsp; Rienk Mast: Needs 11 points to reach 1,400 points for his career and is six shy of 900 career rebounds.Numbers to Know1990-91 - Nebraska's 23 wins are the most since the 1990-91 team set a school record with 26 wins.9.5 - NU tops the Big Ten and ranks 26th nationally with 9.5 3-pointers per game as of March 18. The per game average would match the single-season school record for 3-pointers per game (9.5/gm, 2001-02). &nbsp;The Huskers' 312 3-pointers is a school record (previous, 270 in 2018-19), while the Huskers are 11-4 this season when hitting at least 10 3-pointers in a game.&nbsp;25 - Nebraska has won 25 straight games when out-rebounding its opponent dating back to Nov. 27, 2022, against Florida State. The Huskers are a perfect 16-0 this season when out-rebounding foes.22 - Nebraska has won 22 straight games dating back to last season when holding an opponent to 70 points or less. This season, NU is 18-0 following the win over Indiana on March 15.8 - Nebraska is one of eight teams in the country to have at least five 1,000-point scorers on its roster. The group includes Josiah Allick, Jarron Coleman, Rienk Mast, Keisei Tominaga and Brice Williams. St. John's with six is the only program with more 1,000-point scorers (six) on its roster..939 - C.J. &nbsp;Wilcher's free throw percentage this season, as he has hit 31 of 33 from the foul line. Wilcher was a perfect 23-of-23 in Big Ten play and has hit 28 straight free throws dating back to Nov. 9.15.6 - Brice Williams is averaging 15.6 points in eight career postseason games (conference tournament and 2023 CBI), well above his career scoring average of 10.2 points per game. Over the last two years, that number jumps to &nbsp;17.7 after his performance in the 2024 Big Ten Tournament.2 - Rienk Mast became only the second Husker in the last 25 years to post a 30-point, 10-rebound game with his performance against Ohio State on Jan. 24. He joined Aleks Maric, who accomplished the feat four times in his career from 2005 to 2008.1.38 - Nebraska's assist-to-turnover ratio this season, which is on pace to be NU's best assist-to-turnover ratio since 1985-86 (1.64).&nbsp;9 - Nine members of the Husker men's basketball team were named to the NU Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll for the fall semester announced on Feb. 22. The group includes Josiah Allick, Henry Burt, Jeffrey Grace III, Sam Hoiberg, Rienk Mast, Eli Rice, Keisei Tominaga, &nbsp;C.J. Wilcher and Brice Williams. Mast was one of 72 Huskers across all sports with a perfect 4.0 GPA.14,597 - Nebraska ranks 15th nationally in average attendance, averaging 14,597 fans per game. Nebraska has been ranked in the top 25 nationally in attendance every year since Pinnacle Bank Arena opened in 2013-14, except for 2020-21 when no fans were allowed.11 - Fred Hoiberg has 11 career wins against top-10 teams and 28 wins over ranked opponents in his collegiate coaching career. This season, NU has wins over No. 1 Purdue and No. 6 Wisconsin.&nbsp;Scouting Texas A&amp;MTexas A&amp;M comes into Friday's NCAA Tournament opener with a 20-14 record after reaching the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament. The Aggies were tested in non-conference action with wins over Iowa State and Ohio State while suffering close losses to Houston, Florida Atlantic and Houston. The Aggies played some of their best basketball down the stretch, winning five straight games before losing to Florida in the semifinals.Buzz Williams is in his fifth season at Texas A&amp;M and has guided the Aggies to three straight 20-win seasons and back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. Previously, he spent five seasons at Virginia Tech, six seasons at Marquette and one season at New Orleans.The Aggies' strength is on the glass where Texas A&amp;M ranks seventh nationally in rebounding margin (+8.9 per game) while leading the nation with 17 offensive boards per contest. Andersson Garcia, who began his career at Mississippi State, averages 9.4 rebounds per game to pace the Aggies, but it is a group effort with four players averaging at least five rebounds per contest. Garcia is a member of the SEC All-Defensive Team as he averages 1.3 steals per contest. Wade Taylor IV is the catalyst of the Aggie attack, as he tops the team in scoring (18.9 ppg), assists (4.0 apg) and steals (1.9 spg). Taylor ranks in the top 10 in the SEC in scoring (fourth), steals (fourth) and assists (ninth). Tyrece Radford is the Aggies' other double-figure scorer, as he averages 16.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.Series History: Friday's NCAA opener will mark the 21st meeting between the two programs, but the first since the 2010-11 season. Nebraska leads the all-time series, 12-8, while 16 of the 20 matchups came between 1996-97 and 2010-11, when both programs were members of the Big 12 Conference. The last meeting between the two teams was a 57-48 win over No. 13 Texas A&amp;M at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Jan. 29, 2011. In that game, Jorge Brian Diaz had 16 points to pace three Huskers in double figures, while Nebraska overcame a 31-24 halftime deficit by holding Texas A&amp;M to 17 second-half points on 24 percent shooting.

Nebraska battles Texas A&M in NCAA First Round Friday evening

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sources: Nebraska is finalizing a six-year deal to make Washington athletic director Troy Dannen the school’s new athletic director. The hiring of Dannen gives Nebraska an immediate replacement for Trev Alberts, who left for Texas A&amp;M last week. <a href="https://t.co/q9SRkTK7hk">pic.twitter.com/q9SRkTK7hk</a>&mdash; Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteThamel/status/1770450141637493039?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

(Source) Huskers finalizing a six-year deal to make Washington athletic director Troy Dannen the school’s new AD

Gena Jorgenson and Kelsey Clairmont are set for the 2024 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Athens, Ga., March&nbsp;20-23. Events will take place at the Jack Bauerle Pool at Gabrielsen Natatorium.

Jorgenson, a sophomore from Aberdeen, S.D. qualified for the 1650 freestyle and 500 freestyle. Because of her qualification times in the two events, she was also invited to participate in the 400 IM.&nbsp;

Jorgenson logged career-bests in all three events at the Big Ten Championships, breaking the 1650 freestyle and 500 freestyle school records with times of 16:01.72 and 4:41.19. She finished fifth in the 1650 freestyle and 10th in the 500 freestyle at the conference meet. Jorgenson also is fourth all-time in the 400 IM (4:14.78) after a 20th-place finish in the Big Ten final.&nbsp;

Clairmont, a sophomore from Regina, SK, Canada, will compete for the Huskers on the platform. She qualified for the event after grabbing an eighth-place finish and a score of 502.75 at the NCAA Zone D Diving Championships.&nbsp;

Clairmont has amassed eight top-three finishes on the season and finished 27th in the event at the Big Ten Championships (182.40).

Jorgenson is one of 281 swimmers and Clairmont is one of 41 divers competing in the championship events.

Coverage will begin at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20 on ESPN+ with the 200 medley relay and the 800 freestyle relay competitions.

Nebraska at the NCAA Swimming &amp; Diving ChampionshipsAthens, Ga. (Jack Bauerle Pool at Gabrielsen Natatorium)March 20-23, 2024 (All times central)Thursday, March 21500 Free - Prelims (Gena Jorgenson) - 9 a.m.&nbsp;500 Free - Finals - 5 p.m.Friday, March 22400 IM - Prelims (Gena Jorgenson) - 9 a.m.400 IM - Finals - 5 p.m.Saturday, March 23Platform - Prelims (Kelsey Clairmont) - 9 a.m.1,650 Free - Finals (Gena Jorgenson) - 5 p.m.Platform - Finals - 5 p.m.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsGena Jorgenson and Kelsey Clairmont are set for the 2024 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Athens, Ga., March&nbsp;20-23. Events will take place at the Jack Bauerle Pool at Gabrielsen Natatorium.Jorgenson, a sophomore from Aberdeen, S.D. qualified for the 1650 freestyle and 500 freestyle. Because of her qualification times in the two events, she was also invited to participate in the 400 IM.&nbsp;Jorgenson logged career-bests in all three events at the Big Ten Championships, breaking the 1650 freestyle and 500 freestyle school records with times of 16:01.72 and 4:41.19. She finished fifth in the 1650 freestyle and 10th in the 500 freestyle at the conference meet. Jorgenson also is fourth all-time in the 400 IM (4:14.78) after a 20th-place finish in the Big Ten final.&nbsp;Clairmont, a sophomore from Regina, SK, Canada, will compete for the Huskers on the platform. She qualified for the event after grabbing an eighth-place finish and a score of 502.75 at the NCAA Zone D Diving Championships.&nbsp;Clairmont has amassed eight top-three finishes on the season and finished 27th in the event at the Big Ten Championships (182.40).Jorgenson is one of 281 swimmers and Clairmont is one of 41 divers competing in the championship events.Coverage will begin at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20 on ESPN+ with the 200 medley relay and the 800 freestyle relay competitions.Nebraska at the NCAA Swimming &amp; Diving ChampionshipsAthens, Ga. (Jack Bauerle Pool at Gabrielsen Natatorium)March 20-23, 2024 (All times central)Thursday, March 21500 Free - Prelims (Gena Jorgenson) - 9 a.m.&nbsp;500 Free - Finals - 5 p.m.Friday, March 22400 IM - Prelims (Gena Jorgenson) - 9 a.m.400 IM - Finals - 5 p.m.Saturday, March 23Platform - Prelims (Kelsey Clairmont) - 9 a.m.1,650 Free - Finals (Gena Jorgenson) - 5 p.m.Platform - Finals - 5 p.m.

Jorgenson, Clairmont head to NCAA Championships

Nebraska gymnast Emma Spence was named a Big Ten Co-Gymnast of the Week, the conference announced on Tuesday. She shares the honor with Sierra Brooks of Michigan.&nbsp;

In the Huskers’ meet at Arkansas on Friday, March 15, Spence won the all-around title with a 39.650 that tied her career high. She scored a 9.950 on floor, which also tied her career best, along with a 9.875 on bars, 9.925 on vault and 9.900 on beam. Her beam score earned her a share of the event title.&nbsp;

Along with her personal records, the junior contributed to a team season-high score of 197.375 and season-high scores on vault (49.375) and beam (49.400).&nbsp;

The last time a Husker garnered Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honors was on Jan. 22, 2019, when Taylor Houchin won the award. Senior Kinsey Davis has been named a Big Ten Co-Event Specialist of the Week twice this season.&nbsp;

Gymnast:&nbsp;Emma Spence (Nebraska), Sierra Brooks (Michigan)

Event Specialist: Reyna Guggino (Michigan), Olivia Zsarmani (Michigan State), Mya Hooten (Minnesota)

Freshman: Lyden Saltness (Illinois), Jordan Lyden (Minnesota), Kalea McElligott (Penn State)

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsNebraska gymnast Emma Spence was named a Big Ten Co-Gymnast of the Week, the conference announced on Tuesday. She shares the honor with Sierra Brooks of Michigan.&nbsp;In the Huskers’ meet at Arkansas on Friday, March 15, Spence won the all-around title with a 39.650 that tied her career high. She scored a 9.950 on floor, which also tied her career best, along with a 9.875 on bars, 9.925 on vault and 9.900 on beam. Her beam score earned her a share of the event title.&nbsp;Along with her personal records, the junior contributed to a team season-high score of 197.375 and season-high scores on vault (49.375) and beam (49.400).&nbsp;The last time a Husker garnered Big Ten Gymnast of the Week honors was on Jan. 22, 2019, when Taylor Houchin won the award. Senior Kinsey Davis has been named a Big Ten Co-Event Specialist of the Week twice this season.&nbsp;Big Ten Weekly AwardsGymnast:&nbsp;Emma Spence (Nebraska), Sierra Brooks (Michigan)Event Specialist: Reyna Guggino (Michigan), Olivia Zsarmani (Michigan State), Mya Hooten (Minnesota)Freshman: Lyden Saltness (Illinois), Jordan Lyden (Minnesota), Kalea McElligott (Penn State)

Spence tabbed Big Ten Co-Gymnast of the Week

Nebraska has agreed to a contract extension with 2024 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year&nbsp;Fred Hoiberg, as announced by Interim Athletic Director&nbsp;Dennis Leblanc&nbsp;and University of Nebraska Interim President&nbsp;Chris Kabourek&nbsp;on Tuesday.

The new contract with Hoiberg, who has guided Nebraska to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014, extends through the 2028-29 season and will pay the Husker coach $4.25 million next season, with annual increases in each of the subsequent contract years.

“I’m appreciative of the confidence our administration has shown in our staff’s leadership of the Husker basketball program,” Hoiberg said. “With our history at the University of Nebraska, this is a special place for our family. We want to continue to build a program that our fans can embrace and one that represents the values of Nebraskans. With the phenomenal facilities and fan support in place, we are positioned to do things that have never been accomplished by the Husker men’s basketball program.”

Nebraska enters Friday’s NCAA Tournament game against Texas A&amp;M with a 23-10 overall record and a No. 8 seed in the NCAA South Regional. Nebraska’s 23 victories are the second-most in school history and the team’s third-place Big Ten finish was the Huskers’ best since a tie for second in the Big Eight in 1993.

“I have had the opportunity to work closely with five men’s basketball head coaches in my four decades in Nebraska Athletics, and I am more confident than ever in the direction of our men’s basketball program,” Leblanc said. “Coach Hoiberg is a great representative of the University of Nebraska, and our program has shown great progress and improvement over the past two seasons.&nbsp; Fred has shown that he is committed to leading a program that succeeds on the court, in the classroom and in the community. We look forward to watching him and our team play on Friday in the NCAA Tournament.”

Under Hoiberg, Nebraska has improved its win total by six victories or more each of the last two seasons, one of only four Division I programs to accomplish that feat.

“I’m thrilled that we are keeping Coach Hoiberg a Husker,” Kabourek said. “He’s all-in on Nebraska and I love what he’s doing to help our team compete on and off the court. Coach Hoiberg is an outstanding representative of the University of Nebraska and I know he will continue to lead the young men in our basketball program to great success, both as players and as leaders in the classroom and in the community.”

Leblanc and Kabourek also confirmed that discussions are underway with Nebraska Head Women’s Basketball Coach Amy Williams regarding a contract extension to recognize her success in leading the Husker program. The Nebraska women’s basketball team owns a 22-11 record and is making its third NCAA appearance under Williams’ direction. The Huskers take on Texas A&amp;M in Corvallis, Oregon, on Friday evening.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsNebraska has agreed to a contract extension with 2024 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year&nbsp;Fred Hoiberg, as announced by Interim Athletic Director&nbsp;Dennis Leblanc&nbsp;and University of Nebraska Interim President&nbsp;Chris Kabourek&nbsp;on Tuesday.The new contract with Hoiberg, who has guided Nebraska to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014, extends through the 2028-29 season and will pay the Husker coach $4.25 million next season, with annual increases in each of the subsequent contract years.“I’m appreciative of the confidence our administration has shown in our staff’s leadership of the Husker basketball program,” Hoiberg said. “With our history at the University of Nebraska, this is a special place for our family. We want to continue to build a program that our fans can embrace and one that represents the values of Nebraskans. With the phenomenal facilities and fan support in place, we are positioned to do things that have never been accomplished by the Husker men’s basketball program.”Nebraska enters Friday’s NCAA Tournament game against Texas A&amp;M with a 23-10 overall record and a No. 8 seed in the NCAA South Regional. Nebraska’s 23 victories are the second-most in school history and the team’s third-place Big Ten finish was the Huskers’ best since a tie for second in the Big Eight in 1993.“I have had the opportunity to work closely with five men’s basketball head coaches in my four decades in Nebraska Athletics, and I am more confident than ever in the direction of our men’s basketball program,” Leblanc said. “Coach Hoiberg is a great representative of the University of Nebraska, and our program has shown great progress and improvement over the past two seasons.&nbsp; Fred has shown that he is committed to leading a program that succeeds on the court, in the classroom and in the community. We look forward to watching him and our team play on Friday in the NCAA Tournament.”Under Hoiberg, Nebraska has improved its win total by six victories or more each of the last two seasons, one of only four Division I programs to accomplish that feat.“I’m thrilled that we are keeping Coach Hoiberg a Husker,” Kabourek said. “He’s all-in on Nebraska and I love what he’s doing to help our team compete on and off the court. Coach Hoiberg is an outstanding representative of the University of Nebraska and I know he will continue to lead the young men in our basketball program to great success, both as players and as leaders in the classroom and in the community.”Leblanc and Kabourek also confirmed that discussions are underway with Nebraska Head Women’s Basketball Coach Amy Williams regarding a contract extension to recognize her success in leading the Husker program. The Nebraska women’s basketball team owns a 22-11 record and is making its third NCAA appearance under Williams’ direction. The Huskers take on Texas A&amp;M in Corvallis, Oregon, on Friday evening.

NU announces contract extension for 2024 Big Ten Coach of Year Fred Hoiberg

Mason McConnaughey recorded a career-high nine strikeouts, as the Huskers picked up their 11th win in the last 13 games with an 11-5 victory vs. Omaha on Tuesday night at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.

Nebraska (14-5) totaled 11 runs on nine hits with two errors while Omaha (3-16) recorded five runs on six hits and a pair of errors.

Will Walsh was 1-for-3 with a solo home run in the fifth inning, becoming the first Husker to homer in three straight games since Max Anderson in 2023.

Josh Caron finished 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI, while Cole Evans drove in a pair of runs. Riley Silva drew a trio of walks, with Joshua Overbeek and Rhett Stokes each tallying three runs scored.

McConnaughey tossed five scoreless innings in his first career start with the Huskers. The sophomore hasn't allowed a run across his last five outings, totaling 12.1 innings pitched with 21 punchouts to only six walks.&nbsp;

Tucker Timmerman allowed four runs, all earned, before Evan Borst, Kyle Perry and Casey Daiss combined to retire seven of the final eight batters.&nbsp;

The Huskers jumped out front with a 2-0 lead in the opening frame. Walks to Silva and Overbeek set up Evans’ two-RBI single to give the Big Red the early advantage.

Nebraska tacked on another run in the second without recording a hit to build the lead to 3-0. Consecutive walks to Stokes and Dylan Carey and a wild pitch placed runners on second and third with one out, while a second wild pitch in the inning brought home Stokes.

McConnaughey worked around a one-out double in the fourth and picked up his eighth strikeout of the night to send a 3-0 game into the bottom of the fourth.

A pair of RBI singles grew the lead to five for the Big Red through four innings. Stokes began the bottom of the fourth with a first-pitch double to center and came around to score on Case Sanderson’s pinch-hit one-out RBI single to center. Silva drew a full-count walk and swiped second before touching home on Overbeek’s RBI single through the right side.

McConnaughey worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the fifth, while a pair of extra-base hits extended the lead to seven for the Huskers in the bottom of the fifth.

Walsh homered for the third consecutive game, drilling a one-out 363-foot solo shot into the berm in left field. Stokes drew a two-out walk on full count, while Carey lined an RBI double into the left-center alley to plate Stokes and make it a seven-run game.

Timmerman replaced McConnaughey in the sixth and worked around a one-out infield single to hang a scoreless frame in relief.

Overbeek was hit by the pitch and stole second to lead off the bottom of the sixth. Caron came through by driving in Overbeek on what would have been an RBI double down the left-field line, but the ball ricocheted off the umpire at third base and Caron had to settle with an RBI single.

The Maverick trimmed the Big Red’s eight-run advantage in half with four runs on three hits in the seventh inning. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with two outs for Omaha, while Grant Sommers was plunked on the first pitch to plate the Mavericks’ first run.

Noah Greise cleared the bases with a three-RBI double down the left-field line to make it an 8-4 game through seven innings.

Omaha scored its fifth run of the night after a wild pitch and errant throw at third base brought the Mavericks within three.

The Huskers answered immediately with three on two hits and a pair of Omaha errors to grow the Big Red’s lead to 11-5 heading into the ninth inning. Caron tallied his second and third RBI on the night with a double down the right-field line and was driven in on Anglim's single back to the pitcher.

Nebraska returns to play tomorrow night, as the Huskers welcome North Dakota State to Hawks Field at Haymarket Park. Tomorrow night’s first pitch between the Huskers and Bison is set for 6:05 p.m.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsMason McConnaughey recorded a career-high nine strikeouts, as the Huskers picked up their 11th win in the last 13 games with an 11-5 victory vs. Omaha on Tuesday night at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.Nebraska (14-5) totaled 11 runs on nine hits with two errors while Omaha (3-16) recorded five runs on six hits and a pair of errors.Will Walsh was 1-for-3 with a solo home run in the fifth inning, becoming the first Husker to homer in three straight games since Max Anderson in 2023.Josh Caron finished 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI, while Cole Evans drove in a pair of runs. Riley Silva drew a trio of walks, with Joshua Overbeek and Rhett Stokes each tallying three runs scored.McConnaughey tossed five scoreless innings in his first career start with the Huskers. The sophomore hasn't allowed a run across his last five outings, totaling 12.1 innings pitched with 21 punchouts to only six walks.&nbsp;Tucker Timmerman allowed four runs, all earned, before Evan Borst, Kyle Perry and Casey Daiss combined to retire seven of the final eight batters.&nbsp;The Huskers jumped out front with a 2-0 lead in the opening frame. Walks to Silva and Overbeek set up Evans’ two-RBI single to give the Big Red the early advantage.Nebraska tacked on another run in the second without recording a hit to build the lead to 3-0. Consecutive walks to Stokes and Dylan Carey and a wild pitch placed runners on second and third with one out, while a second wild pitch in the inning brought home Stokes.McConnaughey worked around a one-out double in the fourth and picked up his eighth strikeout of the night to send a 3-0 game into the bottom of the fourth.A pair of RBI singles grew the lead to five for the Big Red through four innings. Stokes began the bottom of the fourth with a first-pitch double to center and came around to score on Case Sanderson’s pinch-hit one-out RBI single to center. Silva drew a full-count walk and swiped second before touching home on Overbeek’s RBI single through the right side.McConnaughey worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the fifth, while a pair of extra-base hits extended the lead to seven for the Huskers in the bottom of the fifth.Walsh homered for the third consecutive game, drilling a one-out 363-foot solo shot into the berm in left field. Stokes drew a two-out walk on full count, while Carey lined an RBI double into the left-center alley to plate Stokes and make it a seven-run game.Timmerman replaced McConnaughey in the sixth and worked around a one-out infield single to hang a scoreless frame in relief.Overbeek was hit by the pitch and stole second to lead off the bottom of the sixth. Caron came through by driving in Overbeek on what would have been an RBI double down the left-field line, but the ball ricocheted off the umpire at third base and Caron had to settle with an RBI single.The Maverick trimmed the Big Red’s eight-run advantage in half with four runs on three hits in the seventh inning. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with two outs for Omaha, while Grant Sommers was plunked on the first pitch to plate the Mavericks’ first run.Noah Greise cleared the bases with a three-RBI double down the left-field line to make it an 8-4 game through seven innings.Omaha scored its fifth run of the night after a wild pitch and errant throw at third base brought the Mavericks within three.The Huskers answered immediately with three on two hits and a pair of Omaha errors to grow the Big Red’s lead to 11-5 heading into the ninth inning. Caron tallied his second and third RBI on the night with a double down the right-field line and was driven in on Anglim's single back to the pitcher.Nebraska returns to play tomorrow night, as the Huskers welcome North Dakota State to Hawks Field at Haymarket Park. Tomorrow night’s first pitch between the Huskers and Bison is set for 6:05 p.m.

McConnaughey’s career-high nine Strikeouts leads Huskers Past Omaha

The No. 6 seed Nebraska women’s basketball team opens the 2024 NCAA Tournament by tangling with 11th-seeded Texas A&amp;M in the tournament’s first round in Corvallis, Oregon, on March 22.

Tip-off between the Huskers (22-11, 11-7 Big Ten) and the Aggies (19-12, 6-10 SEC) is set for Friday at 9:30 p.m. (CT)/7:30 p.m. (PT) at Gill Coliseum.&nbsp;

The game will be televised live by ESPNU with Jason Ross Jr. and Aja Ellison on the call.

Fans also can listen across the Huskers Radio Network, including 107.3 FM in Lincoln and 590 AM in Omaha with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch calling the action. Pregame will start at 9 p.m. (CT).&nbsp;

The Huskers, who ran to a runner-up finish at the TIAA Big Ten Tournament at the Target Center in Minneapolis, March 10, earned a No. 6 NCAA seed after finishing fifth in the Big Ten regular-season standings. The Huskers added wins over Purdue, and NCAA qualifiers Michigan State and Maryland at the conference tournament before falling in overtime to AP No. 3 Iowa and NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed Iowa in the championship game.&nbsp;

The Big Red is 8-3 over its last 11 games with five wins over NCAA Tournament teams during that stretch, including an 82-79 win over then-AP No. 2 and NCAA No. 1 seed Iowa (Feb. 11). Nebraska’s losses during the last 11 games came at No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Iowa in Minneapolis and a one-point loss at NET Top 50 Illinois to end the regular season.

Nebraska’s No. 6 seed is its highest in the NCAA Tournament since 2014, when the Big Ten Tournament champion Huskers earned a No. 4 seed at UCLA and won their most recent game in the Big Dance by beating Fresno State in the first round before falling to BYU in the second round.

In 2013, Nebraska competed as the No. 6 seed and defeated No. 11 Chattanooga in the first round before upsetting No. 3 seed and AP No. 9 Texas A&amp;M at Reed Arena in College Station to advance to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.

First-team All-Big Ten center Alexis Markowski and 2023 first-team All-Big Ten guard Jaz Shelley both earned spots on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team. Markowski, a 6-3 post from Lincoln, averaged 16.5 points, 11.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists in four conference tournament games, including 23 points and 13 rebounds in the championship game. Shelley, a 5-9 point guard from Moe, Australia (pronounced MO-ee) averaged 20.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 8.5 assists, including 16 points and a career-high 13 assists in the championship game. She had 30 points and nine assists in a semifinal victory over Maryland.&nbsp;

Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year Natalie Potts was outstanding in the Big Ten Tournament as well,&nbsp; averaging 11.5 points and 7.5 rebounds while tying the Nebraska conference tournament record with nine blocked shots. The 6-2 forward from O’Fallon, Mo., was an eight-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week and claimed honorable-mention All-Big Ten recognition from the league media. The two-time Missouri High School Player of the Year is coming off a 21-point, nine-rebound effort in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Logan Nissley joined Potts on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. The 6-0 guard from Bismarck, N.D., has started the last eight games for the Huskers and is averaging 8.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists as a starter. A teammate of Texas A&amp;M’s Lauren Ware at Bismarck Century, Nissley had 13 points and five assists in the Big Ten Championship Game. Nissley was a three-time North Dakota High School Basketball Player of the Year and a two-time state volleyball player of the year.

#6 Nebraska Cornhuskers (22-11, 11-7 Big Ten)vs. #11 Texas A&amp;M Aggies (19-12, 6-10 SEC)Friday, March 22, 2024, 9:30 (CT)/7:30 p.m. (PT)Gill Coliseum - Corvallis, OregonTelevision:&nbsp;ESPNU (Live Stream ESPN+)Jason Ross Jr. (PBP), Aja Ellison (Analyst)Live Radio:&nbsp;Huskers Radio Network (9 p.m.)Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)B107.3 FM (Lincoln), 590 AM (Omaha)Live Stats:&nbsp;Huskers.com

#6 Nebraska Cornhuskers&nbsp;(22-11, 11-7 Big Ten - NCAA NET 25)22 - Natalie Potts - 6-2 - Fr. - F/G - 10.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg40 - Alexis Markowski - 6-3 - Jr. - C/F - 15.9 ppg, 10.8 rpg1 - Jaz Shelley - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 13.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg2 - Logan Nissley - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 6.7 ppg, 2.0 rpg15 - Kendall Moriarty - 6-1 - Jr. - G - 3.2 ppg, 1.3 rpgOff the Bench0 - Darian White - 5-6 - Gr. - G - 6.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg14 - Callin Hake - 5-9 - So. - G - 6.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg12 - Jessica Petrie - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 4.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg21 - Annika Stewart - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 3.6 ppg, 1.5 rpg32 - Kendall Coley - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 2.2 ppg, 1.7 rpg42 - Maddie Krull - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 2.1 ppg, 1.7 rpgHead Coach:&nbsp;Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)Eighth Season at Nebraska (136-110);&nbsp;17th Season Overall (329-219)

#11 Texas A&amp;M Aggies&nbsp;(19-12, 6-10 SEC - NCAA NET 41)2 - Janiah Barker - 6-4 - So. - F - 12.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg32 - Lauren Ware - 6-5 - RJr. - F - 9.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg1 - Endyia Rogers - 5-7 - Gr. - G - 12.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg5 - Aicha Coulibaly - 6-0 - Sr. - G - 13.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg24 - Sahara Jones - 6-0 - Sr. - G - 7.1 ppg, 5.2 rpgOff the Bench15 - Sole’ Williams - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 5.0 ppg, 1.1 rpg3 - Tineya Hylton - 5-7 - Jr. - G - 4.2 ppg, 1.9 rpg00 - Sydney Bowles - 6-0 - So. - G - 3.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg14 - Maliyah Johnson - 6-3 - RJr. - F - 2.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg4 - Kay Kay Green - 5-6 - Sr. - G - 2.5 ppg, 1.2 rpgHead Coach:&nbsp;Joni Taylor (Alabama, 2002)Second Season at Texas A&amp;M (28-32);&nbsp;Ninth Season Overall (168-107)

Coach Joni Taylor leads Texas A&amp;M into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 11 seed in Corvallis after taking the Aggies to a 19-12 record that included a 6-10 SEC mark in 2023-24.

Taylor is in her second season with the Aggies, who have improved 10 games in the win column over a 9-20 campaign in 2022-23. The 2021 SEC Coach of the Year at Georgia, Taylor spent seven seasons leading the Bulldogs to four NCAA Tournaments, including three trips to the second round.

Texas A&amp;M has lost four of its last five games, with all four games coming to NCAA Tournament teams (Auburn, Tennessee, Alabama and No. 1 South Carolina). The Aggies picked up a decisive 72-56 win over Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament first round, effectively knocking the Bulldogs out of the NCAA Tournament.&nbsp;

Texas A&amp;M features a strong starting five led by Aicha Coulibaly, who averages 13.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and a team-best 2.4 steals per game. Coulibaly has hit just 22 percent (9-41) of her threes on the season. Coulibaly, from Bamako, Mali, attended IMG Academy before spending her first three seasons at Auburn.

Endyia Rogers, a 5-9 graduate point guard, has added 12.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and a team-leading 3.9 assists. A&amp;M’s most prolific three-point threat, Rogers has hit 34.1 percent (47-138) from long range. She missed several games with an injury but returned to action at the SEC Tournament. Rogers spent her first two seasons at USC, before playing the past two years at Oregon.&nbsp;

Sahara Jones rounds out the Aggie backcourt with 7.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. The 6-0 guard supplies suffocating defense but has hit just 11-of-56 threes (.196) and 65.6 percent of her free throws. Jones was A&amp;M’s No. 2 scorer (9.2 ppg) last season.

As a team, Texas A&amp;M is hitting just 27.9 percent of its three-point attempts while connecting on just 5.2 three-pointers per game. However, the Aggies have shut down the opposition from long range, holding foes to just 4.7 threes per game. The Huskers are averaging 8.5 threes per game.

Janiah Barker, a 6-4 sophomore forward, leads A&amp;M inside with 12.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. She is also a threat from long range, hitting 21-of-63 threes (.333). She was A&amp;M’s leading scorer a year ago at 12.7 points per game.

Lauren Ware, who spent her first three seasons at Arizona, has added more size and defensive dominance. The 6-5 redshirt junior averages 9.1 points and team bests of 7.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. She was a high school teammate of Nebraska Big Ten All-Freshman guard Logan Nissley at Bismarck Century High School in 2019-20.

Maliyah Johnson adds depth in the post for the Aggies. The 6-3 redshirt junior is averaging 2.9 points and 3.2 rebounds behind Barker, who has fouled out five times this season, and Ware, who has fouled out twice.

Freshman Sole’ Williams has provided a long range threat off the bench by hitting 33.7 percent (31-92) of her threes while averaging 5.0 points per game.

Tineya Hylton (4.2 ppg, 1.9 rpg), Sydney Bowles (3.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg) and Kay Kay Green (2.5 ppg, 1.2 rpg) add more backcourt depth in A&amp;M’s 10-player rotation. Bowles (9.1 ppg, 2022-23) and Green (7.2 ppg, 2022-23) were regular starters for the Aggies last season.

As a team, Texas A&amp;M is averaging 68.7 points and hitting 41 percent from the field, but just 67.8 percent from the free throw line. The Aggies own a plus-7.5 rebound margin and a plus-1.9 turnover margin. They have held opponents to just 58.6 points on 37.1 percent shooting.

After going 12-1 in non-conference play, A&amp;M averaged just 61.9 points in SEC play, while allowing 65.5 points. The Aggies hit just 39.5 percent of their shots against league foes, including just 27.2 percent of their threes. They managed a plus-1.9 rebound margin in conference play and held a minus-1.1 turnover margin. SEC foes hit 34.8 percent of their threes against A&amp;M and 76.3 percent of their free throws.

Nebraska and Texas A&amp;M have faced three common opponents this year. The Aggies defeated Purdue 72-58 in West Lafayette, Ind. (Nov. 16). The Huskers went 3-0 against Purdue, including a 77-65 win at Mackey Arena (Feb. 17). Texas A&amp;M defeated Kansas 63-52 in College Station (Dec. 3), while the Huskers fell to the Jayhawks in Lawrence 69-52 (Dec. 20). A&amp;M defeated Lamar 83-51 in College Station (Dec. 6), just two weeks after Nebraska beat Lamar 75-61 (Nov. 23) in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Nebraska vs. Texas A&amp;M Series History

Nebraska leads the all-time series with Texas A&amp;M 15-9, including No. 24 NU’s 74-63 win at No. 9 Texas A&amp;M in the second round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament in College Station on March 25, 2013. The sixth-seeded Huskers upset the third-seeded Aggies at Reed Arena to advance to the 2013 NCAA Sweet Sixteen. Lindsey Moore led Nebraska with 20 points, 10 assists and six rebounds, while Jordan Hooper added 21 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Texan Hailie Sample pitched in her first career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Friday’s game between the Huskers and Aggies will mark the first time in 10 games that at least one of the two teams was not ranked in the AP Top 25, although Nebraska enters the NCAA Tournament at No. 25 in the NET rankings. Both teams were ranked in the top 25 in three of the last four meetings, including Texas A&amp;M’s 80-70 win over the Huskers in the 2010 Big 12 Tournament semifinals. The No. 11 Aggies handed the 30-0 Huskers their first loss of the season. Texas A&amp;M went on to win the 2010 Big 12 Tournament title after Nebraska won the Big 12 regular-season crown as the first team ever to go undefeated (16-0) in Big 12 regular-season play. Nebraska went on to earn a No. 1 seed in the 2010 NCAA Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. Texas A&amp;M lost in the NCAA second round by one point to Gonzaga in Seattle.

Nebraska and Texas A&amp;M met every season as Big 12 foes from 1996-97 through 2010-11, before the Huskers joined the Big Ten and the Aggies headed to the SEC. The No. 5 Aggies defeated the Huskers 84-49 in Nebraska’s last regular-season Big 12 game (March 5, 2011) in College Station.