OKLAHOMA CITY – Braden Frager. Learn the name.
The Huskers were dialed in on Saturday night in an energy-filled Paycom Center. Freshman forward Braden Frager squeezed through multiple defenders to hit a layup with 2.2 seconds left on the clock.
“(The team) made huge plays. I know mine was the last one, but they made plays too,” Frager said postgame. “For Pryce to come down with that rebound and make an unbelievable unselfish play, it wasn’t just me.”
Nebraska moves on to the Sweet 16 thanks to its 74-72 win.
Here are four takeaways from the game.
Tough containing Tanner
The Huskers had a tough task with the duty of guarding Vanderbilt’s star guard Tyler Tanner. Tanner, who averaged 19.3 points per game, came off a 26-point performance against McNeese State in the Commodores’ first round matchup.
Vanderbilt’s shifty sophomore guard didn’t slow down against Nebraska’s pesty defense. He carried the Commodores through the first half with 15 of his team’s 32 points on 50 percent shooting.
Tanner dominated multiple facets of the game and made it extremely hard for the Huskers to contain him. He concluded the game with 27 points, two rebounds, four assists and four steals.
“He’s so small; it’s like guarding Sam (Hoiberg),” senior guard Jamarques Lawrence said of Tanner. “He’s sneaky athletic. I’ve been watching him majority of the year, so I kind of expected that outcome from him.”
Alongside Tanner was senior forward Tyler Nickel. Nickel was a threat from range, knocking down five 3-pointers. The two combined for 43 points.
Rebounding issues
Despite a size advantage, Nebraska struggled to rebound on the defensive end, allowing 11 to a Vanderbilt team that didn’t outsize the Huskers.
The Commodores had nine, but also drew a lot of fouls on their second-chance opportunities.
The Huskers moved to a 1-3-1 zone after the under-four timeout in the second half and showed light in the rebounding game.
Foul trouble killed
Vanderbilt, without a doubt, had the upper hand when it came to fouls. Four different Huskers were in foul trouble by the under-8 timeout in the second half. Senior guard Jamarques Lawrence picked up his fourth of the game at the 12:53 mark of the second half and was forced to play limited minutes the rest of the game.
The Commodores got to the free-throw line a total of 19 times. nine more than Nebraska.
Braden Frager open looks
The freshman from Lincoln got crafty with his shots, especially in the first half. Instead of pulling 10 3-pointers as he did against the Trojans, he did most of his work scoring in the paint off passes.
The 6-foot-7 forward struggled shooting beyond the arc against Troy, so he found other ways to get involved and impact the offense. He turned into a true slasher, something fans haven’t seen as much of as of late.
However, the cherry on top of his performace was the game-winning layup in the final seconds of the contest to send his team to the Sweet 16.
He was still able to make an impact from deep, hitting one 3-pointer. Fragers night ended with a tied team-high 15 points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal.
What’s next?
The Huskers will head down to Houston for the Sweet 16.
Alex Berry is an Assistant Sports Editor and men’s basketball beat writer at The Daily Nebraskan. You can find all of his work on X at @aberryy13.