Vanderbilt basketball passed the first test of March Madness.
Now, the Commodores will attempt to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2007.
No. 5 seed Vanderbilt beat No. 12 seed McNeese 78-68 on March 19 in Oklahoma City to reach the second round of the Men’s NCAA Tournament. It’s Vanderbilt’s first win in the NCAA Tournament since 2012. Vanderbilt plays No. 4 seed Nebraska, a 76-47 winner over Troy in its first-round game, on March 21 (6:45 p.m., TNT).
Nebraska (27-6) won for the first time in Men’s NCAA Tournament history with the rout of Troy. Nebraska’s 27 wins is also a school record. Oh, they also had an overwhelming fans presence at Paycom Arena in Oklahoma City.
Pryce Sandfort led Nebraska to the win, scoring 17 of his 23 points in the first half. He also hit five 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes.
Vanderbilt (27-8) came from a first-half deficit to beat McNeese. Tyler Tanner’s 26 points paced the Commodores, who have reached back-to-back Men’s NCAA Tournaments under second-year coach Mark Byington.
Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 and tkreager@tennessean.com or on X @Kreager.
