Selection Sunday for Nebraska basketball likely ends with CBC or bust
Exactly a month ago, the Nebraska basketball team thought it had a very good shot of making the NCAA Tournament. And then, the Huskers lost their final five games of the year.
So what does Selection Sunday hold for Fred Hoiberg and company at this point? There certainly won’t be any kind of a watch party. Missing the Big Ten tournament guaranteed zero hope of making the Big Dance. So what does that leave a program that was all about the excitement a year ago.
Unfortunately, missing the conference tournament was a stain on the Nebraska basketball program, and a mediocre 17-14 overall record likely means that the NIT is out as well. At the moment, it looks like the 2025 College Basketball Crown (CBC) is the most likely destination for the Cornhuskers.
You know what time it is: NIT & College Basketball Crown Bracketology. pic.twitter.com/ry0qCUQagy
— Thomas Fischbeck (@TheRealCSD) March 10, 2025
Nebraska basketball looking at the CBC for its postseason hopes
So just what is the CBC? It’s a brand new tournament this season that will feature 16 teams in a “fully bracketed” tournament. The tourney takes two Big Ten, two Big 12, and two Big East squads as well as 10 other teams from around the country.
The tournament will tip off on March 31, missing the first couple of weeks of the NCAA Tournament in hopes of getting a few more eyeballs on their own games. FS1 and Fox will broadcast every matchup.
There is at least one point of pride should the Huskers get and accept a bid to the CBC. At least one bracketologist believes NU will be the No. 1 overall seed and should take on Oklahoma State in the first round.
Granted, some of this depends on whether the Cornhuskers want to and will accept a bid. There is an added wrinkle in that teams that play in the CBC must have a roster of at least 7 players. That doesn’t sound like a problem until you look deeper.
Rienk Mast isn’t healthy and won’t count towards that number, which takes the roster down to 16. There are five seniors on the squad that may or may not decide to play in one final game. That takes NU down to 11. And with the portal opening on March 24, there’s always the possibility that four guys could decide to transfer.
There is also an argument that the Nebraska basketball program would rather work on recruiting once that portal opens. Practicing for a third-tier tournament might be an unwelcome division of labor.
