The first round opponent for No. 4 seed Nebraska men’s basketball in the 2026 NCAA Tournament is the Troy Trojans.
The Huskers and Trojans will tip off at 11:40 a.m. CT at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on Thursday.
Troy Tendencies
Troy doesn’t have an experienced Division I team, averaging just 1.28 years, ranked 228th of 365 Division I teams.
The program does have a winning pedigree. At 22-11, 2026 is the fifth season in a row the Trojans have won 20 games or more and the second straight season they have won the Sun Belt Conference. They played in the NCAA Tournament in 2025, with a first-round exit to No. 3 seed Kentucky, 76-57.
“They’ve got a winning culture, and we’re going to have to be on point,” Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg said.
Offensively, Troy has been above average, ranking 141st nationally in adjusted efficiency.
This fuels their dangerous transition attack, but they have been far less effective in the halfcourt, where poor finishing at the rim and inconsistent 3-point shooting have limited their efficiency.
The Trojans are a tough, gritty team. They are great at defending the 3-point line; opponents are shooting just 31.3% from 3-point range, 43rd nationally.
Troy shoots just 33.2% from 3-point range, 219th in the country. Their most effective offense has been attacking the basket, which leads to not only plenty of trips to the free-throw line, but also a ton of high-value second chances on the glass.
They prefer great value 2-point shots, getting a lot of their attempts close to the basket, ranking 10th nationally in average 2-point field goal attempt distance, 4.5 feet.
They will send all five players to rebound and are 55th nationally in offensive rebounding percentage. They crash the boards relentlessly — in games where they recorded 11-plus offensive rebounds and 10 or fewer turnovers, they went 7-1. Their Shot Volume Index (99.5 SVI) ranks among the best 14-seeds of the last 25 years.
Defensively, Troy has similar no-middle principles to Nebraska and has averaged 12.7 turnovers forced per game this season. They defend hard on the perimeter — their identity under head coach Scott Cross is disrupting ball-handlers before they can generate easy looks and closing out with high hands on 3-point shooters.
The Trojans have been roughly average overall defensively, ranking 166th nationally. Their biggest strength is rim protection, limiting both volume and efficiency at the basket, especially when they can get set. They have also done well to contest shots from the perimeter, managing efficiency despite allowing a high volume of 3-point attempts. They have been vulnerable on the offensive glass at times, but have improved as of late.
Troy will have to make an impact on the boards while limiting turnovers to increase transition scoring opportunities.
Roster Breakdown
Troy plays an eight-man rotation with heavy minutes from its five starters.
“Really impressive team, very well coached, very disciplined,” Hoiberg said. “They take care of the ball. They have a very good assist-to-turnover ratio, do a really good job on the glass. It’s a team that’s got a lot of skill all over the floor. Dowd and Valdez, they’re really, really good players, both all-league players, Dowd first team. And those guys play with a lot of confidence and a lot of swagger.”
Thomas Dowd is the lone returning starter from the Trojans’ NCAA Tournament team.
“He’s on the Mount Rushmore of toughest, most competitive guys I’ve ever coached,” Troy head coach Scott Cross told WSFA 12 Sports after the Sun Belt Championship. “He’s got a will that transcends the entire team. He refuses to let us lose. When I start getting nervous, I think back and I’m like, well, I’ve got Thomas Dowd on my side, I don’t need to be nervous.”
Dowd, a 6-foot-8 forward, has played in 89.2% of the Trojans minutes this season, good for 35th in the nation.
His 14.8 points-per-game average is tied for first on the team and his 10.8 rebounds per game lead the team. He has 17 double-doubles, the most in the Sun Belt and tied for 10th in the nation. He is a very disruptive player who is a pick-and-pop four man that attacks the glass and his 10.3% offensive rebounding rate is 228th nationally. If he grabs an offensive rebound in traffic, he has a knack for relocating and getting second-chance points.
Victor Valdes is the engine for the Trojans on the offensive end. He is a matchup problem at 6-foot-7, 235 pounds. He is averaging 14.8 points per game and loves to go left. Valdes draws fouls at a high rate. His 6.4 fouls drawn per game is 55th nationally.
He isn’t overly athletic and doesn’t have elite quickness, but processes quickly and has great vision with the ball in his hands. He has a great change of pace, think Luka Dončić. In fact, Scott Cross called him the “Mexican Luka” when he recruited him.
Troy will use Valdes a lot in the pick-and-roll situations, and he leads the Trojans with 146 assists (4.4 per game) but also turns it over at a high rate with 105 (3.1 per game) on the season. Valdes’ 31.6% turnover rate is 62nd nationally.
If Valdes is the engine, Cooper Campbell is the steering wheel. He controls their team and dribbles a lot on offense. At 6-foot-1, Campbell is much better at going right than left, but is a good player. His assist rate of 23% is 275th in the country. Campbell (39% from deep) and his brother Cobi, a lefty, are good 3-point shooters, with Cobi hitting at a 41% clip.
Theo Seng, the Trojans’ 6-foot-9 starting center, hasn’t played since Feb. 14. He was averaging 12.9 points, third on the team, and 5.9 rebounds, second on the team. Not knowing if Seng will be available on Thursday presents some preparation challenges for Nebraska.
“You prepare as if they’re going to be fully healthy and going to have everybody on board,” Hoiberg said. “They played pretty darn well in that Sun Belt tournament with their group. Seng certainly adds a whole different element to their team with a skill level.”
Jerrell Bellamy, a 6-foot-9 forward, is the Trojans’ most athletic player. Troy will use him in screen-and-rolls and is a lob threat. He is a shot blocker on the defensive end with a 5.8 block percentage, 132nd nationally.
“I thought Bellamy was terrific in that tournament and really helped them to a (Sun Belt) championship,” Hoiberg said.
