Troy University Athletics
Troy University
Nebraska
Troy Primed for NCAA Tournament Matchup with Nebraska
3/18/2026 12:07:00 PM | Basketball (M)
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Back in the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season, No. 13 Troy men's basketball is set to square off against No. 4 Nebraska on Thursday at 11:40 a.m. at Paycom Center, in Oklahoma City, Okla.
In a season that has already featured 22 wins - the fifth straight 20-win season - Sun Belt regular-season and tournament titles, and the highest-ranked KenPom win in program history (Nov. 18 at San Diego State), Troy (22-11, 12-6 SBC) has reached college basketball's biggest stage once again, earning the highest seed in program history as the No. 13 seed in the South Region.
It has taken Troy multiple key contributors to get the Scott Cross led team back to the tournament. The Trojans are paced on both ends of the court by junior Thomas Dowd, who has averaged a double-double this season with 14.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Victor Valdes has also scored at a 14.8 points per game clip.
When Theo Seng went down with a lower body injury on Feb. 14, Jerrell Bellamy stepped into the starting center role. Since that time, Bellamy has averaged 15.3 points and is shooting the ball at a 69.6% clip.
Standing in Troy's way of its first NCAA Tournament win in program history is No. 4 Nebraska (26-6, 15-5 Big Ten). The Cornhuskers, also seeking their program's first win in the Big Dance, has been ranked inside the AP Top 25 since December 8, climbing as high as No. 5. Nebraska did not lose its first game this season until Jan. 27, starting the season 20-0. Since then, the Huskers are 6-6.
Thursday's game – the second contest to tip-off in the Round of 64 – can be seen on truTV, the March Madness Live app and Max. Westwood One will have the national radio call, while Troy fans can tune into Barry McKnight and Jerry Miller's radio call on the Varsity Network app and the over-the-air affiliates of the Troy Sports Media Network.
Game Information
Location: Oklahoma City, Okla.
The Matchup: No. 13 Troy vs. No. 4 Nebraska
When: Thursday, March 19 – 11:40 a.m.
Watch: truTV, March Madness Live app, Max
Listen: Westwood One, Troy Sports Media Network
Coach of the Year
Scott Cross was named the Joe Gottfried Coach of the Year by the Sun Belt Conference on March 2, his second time earning the honor and his first at Troy. Cross guided Troy to a 20-11 regular season, the fifth-straight season the Trojans have reached 20 wins. Troy also earned 10-plus conference wins for the fifth consecutive season, going 12-6 in Sun Belt play. Cross is Troy's second coach to win the award - Don Maestri earned it for his efforts during the 2008-09 season.
Dowd's Career Season
Thomas Dowd ranks 15th in the nation in rebounding (10.1 per game). His 17 double-doubles rank 10th nationally, and he is one of just 11 Division I players this season with at least 450 points and 300 rebounds. He also became Troy's single-season Division I rebound leader this year, having pulled in 334 boards.
NCAA Tournament History
Thursday marks Troy's fourth appearance in the Big Dance, following appearances in 2003, 2017, and 2025. Last season, Troy fell to Kentucky in the opening round of the tournament in Milwaukee, 76-57. This season's tournament squad features four players who played at least five minutes in that game.
Scouting Nebraska
Nebraska enters the NCAA Tournament as the No. 4 seed in the South region. The Cornhuskers have compiled a 26-6 overall record this season and were 15-5 in Big Ten play. Nebraska is led offensively by Pyrce Sandfort, who averages 17.8 points per game. Sandfort has made 113 threes this season, shooting the deep ball at a 40% clip. The Huskers are one of the nation's best defensive teams. They are 22nd in both scoring defense (66.2 ppg) opponents' field goal percentage ( 40.4%). Nebraska fell to Purdue in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Friday, 74-58. Like Troy, the Huskers are looking for their first NCAA Tournament win in program history.
Notables
- Scott Cross is in his seventh season at the helm of the Trojans, amassing a 125-98 record during his time at Troy. Over the last four seasons, Troy has won 20-plus games every year, which includes 10-plus Sun Belt wins each season.
- Troy is back in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season after capturing the Sun Belt Tournament title on March 9, defeating Georgia Southern 77-61. Thomas Dowd recorded his 17th double-double of the season with 23 points and 13 rebounds, earning Sun Belt Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors.
- The Trojans also captured the Sun Belt regular-season title with a 12-6 conference record, marking the third Sun Belt championship in program history and the conference's first back-to-back regular-season champion in 11 years.
- Troy is one of five teams nationally to win both its conference regular-season and tournament titles in each of the last two seasons, joining Duke (ACC), High Point (Big South), St. John's (Big East), and VCU (A-10).
- The Trojans are seeking their first NCAA Tournament victory. In last year's appearance, No. 14 Troy fell to No. 3 Kentucky, 76-57, in the Midwest Region.
- Troy has shown the ability to win in a variety of ways this season. While averaging 9.8 three-pointers per game, the Trojans made just eight combined threes in their two wins during the Sun Belt Tournament.
- Troy finished the regular season 20-11 overall, marking the fifth straight 20-win season under head coach Scott Cross. The Trojans are the only Sun Belt team to win 20+ games and at least 10 conference games in each of the last five seasons.
- Victor Valdes and Thomas Dowd have paced the scoring output at 14.8 points a-piece, while Theo Seng is third on the team in scoring, averaging 12.9. Dowd has also added a Sun Belt-leading 10.1 rebounds per contest.
