Vanderbilt star Tyler Tanner nearly became a March Madness legend when his potential game-winning half-court shot narrowly missed against Nebraska on Saturday, March 21, and nearly broke the Cornhuskers’ hearts.
Nebraska has already won its first NCAA Tournament game in the first round of the season, advancing to the Sweet 16 for the first time in history after a 74-72 victory over the fifth-seeded Commodores in Oklahoma City. Tanner’s shot was so shocking in that moment that the Nebraska players on the court took some time to process the miss.
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“When the ball was in and out, my heart sank,” Sam Hoiberg said after the game. “I think it took me half a second to realize it wasn’t in, and then I just screamed with glee. I thought it was in.”
Must read: Nebraska survives Taylor Tanner’s pounding to advance to first Sweet 16 in program history
Brayden Frege added: “I made a perfect shot on the bench and I froze for two seconds. I thought it went in, but I didn’t know how to react. Everybody started celebrating and I was like, ‘Yeah, he did miss it.'”
Tanner, an SEC first-team selection this season, scored 27 points, had four assists and four steals in front of pro-Nebraska fans who traveled more than six hours for the Cornhuskers’ first weekend game. His Vanderbilt teammates and coaches fell to the court in shock as the shot ricocheted off the rim.
Frege’s driving layup with 2.2 seconds left capped Nebraska’s historic victory and the best season in program history. The true freshman scored a team-high 15 points off the bench, tying him with scoring leader Pryce Sandfort.
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Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg said on the TNT broadcast immediately after the game that he couldn’t believe the final shot. After the postgame celebration in the Cornhuskers locker room, soaking wet, he recalled the shot again.
“That kid is an unbelievable player,” he said of Tanner. “When that thing was hanging in the air, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s going in.'” Hit every part of the rim, thankfully bounced out, looking forward to next week. “
Of course, Tanner was broken by the fumble after the game.
“It hurts so bad,” he said.
Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington added: “We’re one step away from making the Sweet 16. It’s going to take a while for us to get over that hump.”
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For Tanner, that shot led to a breakthrough at the end of his sophomore season that turned him into one of the most dynamic guards in the country. He averaged 5.7 points per game in a minor role off the bench at Vanderbilt last season before increasing his scoring average to 19.7 points per game in 2025-26.
This could be the end of his college career, as he’s projected to be selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 28th overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NBA draft, according to the latest mock draft from USA TODAY Sports. It would be an ending similar to that of Gordon Hayward, whose near-half-court shot against Duke in the 2010 national championship game remains a college basketball legend.
Nebraska is pleased that its unprecedented run continues into the second weekend.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nebraska reacts to Tyler Tanner’s halftime raise: ‘I thought it was on’
