No. 12 Nebraska men’s basketball got a gift from Ohio State on Sunday. With the Buckeyes’ 82-74 home win over No. 8 Purdue, the Huskers are in a prime position to finish second in the regular season.
The No. 2 seed would secure a triple bye at the 2026 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament in Chicago, set for March 10-15.
Should the Huskers finish second in the league, they wouldn’t play until Friday, March 13, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. CT.
Scenarios
No. 3 Michigan has locked up the No. 1 seed and the regular-season Big Ten title. As of Sunday night, the battle for No. 2 is down to four teams: Nebraska, No. 13 Michigan State, No. 10 Illinois and Purdue.
Nebraska has the best odds at 80% to finish in second place in the league per Matt Hackman’s 100,000 simulations.
Michigan State has the second-best odds to finish in second place at 19%. The Huskers’ odds of finishing in third and fifth in the league are both 8% and they have a 4% chance to finish fourth.
The Huskers, at 14-4 in league play, are currently tied with Michigan State in second place. On paper, the Spartans have a tougher final two games, Thursday at home against Rutgers and Sunday at Michigan.
The Huskers hold the tiebreaker over Michigan State with the head-to-head win on Jan. 2.
Illinois sits one game behind both Nebraska and Michigan State in the league standings at 13-5. The Illini’s mid-week game is Tuesday at home against Oregon, winner of three of its last five games. Illinois travels to Maryland, loser of four of its last five, to close the regular season on Sunday.
If Nebraska wins its two remaining regular-season games, it is a lock to get the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament.
The Huskers should be a small favorite in their final two games this week, at UCLA on Tuesday for a 10 p.m. tip and home to Iowa Sunday, March 8, at 4 p.m.
After a road loss at a short-handed Minnesota on Saturday, the Bruins could be refocused and ready for a signature win to cement their NCAA Tournament resume.
If the Hawkeyes go 2-0 against Nebraska, that will also be a big boost to their NCAA Tournament hopes after a road loss Saturday at the worst team in the league, 3-13 Penn State. Before Iowa gets to Nebraska on Sunday, the Hawkeyes host Big Ten champion Michigan on Thursday.
Purdue at 12-6 is on the outside looking in for a triple bye in the Big Ten Tournament. The Boilermakers travel to Northwestern on Wednesday and finish the season with a home game against Wisconsin on Sunday.
The Huskers can clinch a triple bye and top four seed in the Big Ten Tournament with one more win or one more loss by the Boilermakers.
Should the Huskers go 1-1, they will still likely earn a triple bye and one of the top four seeds in the Big Ten Tournament.
Even with a 0-2 finish, Nebraska would still receive a double-by as the likely fifth seed. If it does so, it would not play until Thursday, March 12.
