Fred Hoiberg Addresses Nebraska Only Having 4 Players on Court for Key Iowa Points in Viral Video

Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg discussed the Cornhuskers only having four players on the floor during a key defensive possession late in their 77-71 loss to Iowa in the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA tournament.

"I've never been in a situation like that," Hoiberg told reporters after the game. "I know they always count to make sure there's not six, I don't know the rule on that with four. Again, it was a miscommunication and unfortunately it happened."

With Iowa leading 71-68 and just under one minute remaining in the game, Hawkeyes forward Alvaro Folgueiras sprinted down the floor and connected on a layup while getting fouled as Nebraska only had four players on the court.

Another dunk by Folgueiras gave Iowa an eight-point lead with 30 seconds left in the second half and Nebraska was never able to recover.

It was a tough end to a game in which Hoiberg's squad started off strong, holding a 12-2 lead early in the first half and maintaining a 46-43 edge at halftime.

Iowa eventually took its first lead of the game with just over two minutes remaining in the second half following a three-pointer from Bennett Stirtz before extending the advantage to six points with another triple by Tate Sage.

Nebraska fought back with a long-range shot from freshman forward Braden Frager, cutting the deficit to three points and leading to a timeout. The miscommunication occurred immediately after the break, though.

Despite the loss, the Cornhuskers' overall 2025-26 campaign was undoubtedly successful.

They finished with a 28-7 record, winning their first NCAA tournament game in school history by defeating Tory in the first round. Nebraska followed it up with a second-round win over Vanderbilt.

While Hoiberg's team had a chance to advance to the Elite Eight, it'll be heading home instead.