Michigan’s Big Ten Tournament story hadn’t even started yet, but Nebraska already finished the final chapter of one of the most fun runs a team will have this tournament. For the time being, Nebrasketball and Tim Miles will await the decisions of the NIT selection committee and Nebraska AD Bill Moos in regards to their futures. But from Wednesday to Friday, the Huskers and their coach Tim Miles changed the narrative of their season. Before January 26th, the standards for this season were much higher, but senior Isaac Copeland tore his ACL in the second half of a narrow home loss to Ohio State. From that point on the Huskers lost. 8 of their next 10. The narrative was clear. Nebraska had quit. A team that entered the preseason in every bracketologists’ field was waiting for the days to pass them by and end their season, knowing that head coach Tim Miles would likely lose his job after failing to make the NCAA Tournament with two of the most talented rosters in program history. It’s worth nothing Nebraska is the only Power 5 program to never win an NCAA Tournament game. This was THE year.
With no reason to believe or care, Nebraska’s fortunes changed. In the season finale at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, the Huskers made a furious 11-point comeback to force overtime and add their third win of the season without Isaac Copeland. Rewarded with the 13th seed in the Big Ten Tournament, an iota of momentum, and only six scholarship players available, something turned on for Nebraska. The Huskers did not go gently in to that good night. A 34-point effort from James Palmer Jr., who many believed could have avoided this disaster season by leaving for the NBA draft, propelled the Huskers to a 68-61 victory over 12 Rutgers that no one really took note of. Then, Nebraska left their mark on the tournament, knocking off Big Ten title contender Maryland 69-61. The clock struck midnight as the Huskers lost 66-62 to Wisconsin, but Nebraska overcame two 11-point first half deficits, and gave Wisconsin a serious run for their money. Tim Miles will probably need a deep NIT run to save his job, and no Nebraska fan will be happy with this season, but they at least went out with a streak a stretch of four games resembling the team they could have been.
With no reason to believe or care, Nebraska’s fortunes changed. In the season finale at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, the Huskers made a furious 11-point comeback to force overtime and add their third win of the season without Isaac Copeland. Rewarded with the 13th seed in the Big Ten Tournament, an iota of momentum, and only six scholarship players available, something turned on for Nebraska. The Huskers did not go gently in to that good night. A 34-point effort from James Palmer Jr., who many believed could have avoided this disaster season by leaving for the NBA draft, propelled the Huskers to a 68-61 victory over 12 Rutgers that no one really took note of. Then, Nebraska left their mark on the tournament, knocking off Big Ten title contender Maryland 69-61. The clock struck midnight as the Huskers lost 66-62 to Wisconsin, but Nebraska overcame two 11-point first half deficits, and gave Wisconsin a serious run for their money. Tim Miles will probably need a deep NIT run to save his job, and no Nebraska fan will be happy with this season, but they at least went out with a streak a stretch of four games resembling the team they could have been.
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