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By Cole Sullivan
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The Nebraska Cornhuskers were at the center of one of the most costly late-game blunders in recent memory on Thursday night against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
With Iowa holding a 71–68 lead and 58 seconds remaining, Nebraska came out of a timeout with only four players on the court. By the time head coach Fred Hoiberg realized the mistake, the ball had already been inbounded down the floor to a wide-open Iowa player, who converted a layup and drew a foul to extend the lead to six and effectively seal the game.
The Hawkeyes went on to win 77–71 to punch their ticket to the Elite Eight. Following the loss, Hoiberg was asked about the four-player mistake and took full responsibility, citing a miscommunication.
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“Put that one on me,” Hoiberg said after the game, per ESPN. “It was a miscommunication, and I’m the head coach, so put that one on me.”
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Hoiberg said he was not aware of a rule that would've led the officials to acknowledge that Nebraska only had four players on the floor before letting Iowa inbound the ball. but ultimately said he's never been "apart of anything like that."
“I’ve never been in a situation like that. I know they always count to make sure there’s not six,” he said. “I don’t know the rule on that with four. But yeah, again, it was a miscommunication, and unfortunately, it happened. But as far as the rule, I’ve never been a part of anything like that."
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Hoiberg was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year, and Nebraska entered this NCAA Tournament without ever securing a March Madness win. The Cornhuskers changed that this year, picking up two victories.
While their run ended in disastrous fashion against a fellow Big Ten opponent — despite leading for much of the game — the program has clearly taken significant strides in the right direction.
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