Nebraska’s awful coaching blunder ruined its best March Madness run ever in Iowa loss

No could have predicted an Iowa vs. Nebraska matchup in the men’s Sweet 16. The Cornhuskers had literally never won an NCAA tournament game entering March Madness, and Iowa hadn’t reached the second weekend since 1999. It was such a bizarre matchup between long-time regional rivals that making a prediction felt pointless. The game quickly turned into a shootout, and eventually into as one of the most thrilling games of this year’s tournament. It ended with Iowa punching its first Elite Eight ticket since 1987 thanks to a coaching mistake that will haunt Fred Hoiberg for weeks (and maybe years) to come.

Iowa beat Nebraska, 77-71, in a game the Cornhuskers led for most of the night. Iowa took control late in the second half and clinched their victory on a heads up play to take advantage of a massive Nebraska coaching blunder.

Iowa inbounded the ball under its own basket with just under one minute left in regulation. Hawkeyes inbounder Kael Combs recognized that Nebraska only had four players on the floor, and he found teammate Alvaro Folgueiras streaking down the floor for a wide open layup. Folgueiras caught the pass and finished it through contact for the and-one. He made the free throw, and the game was effectively over from there. Watch the play here:

Hoiberg did an unbelievably great job with Nebraska all season, but it’s hard to live a mistake like that down. You simply need to have five guys on the floor in the final minute of a one possession game during your program’s deepest March Madness run ever.

Here’s a still image of the play. How does this happen?

All Nebraska needed was a stop, and they still could have won. Instead, Iowa made a sharp play and sealed the victory.

Nebraska led most of the way, as you can see from the game flow. What a way to lose. The people watching couldn’t believe it.

Iowa is still dancing, and somehow one win away from the Final Four. Nebraska will be thinking about having four on the floor in a clutch moment all summer long.