Nebraska Coach Admits Mistake Led to Iowa's Critical Bucket

Cornhuskers had only 4 players on the floor during key late-game sequence

Mar. 27, 2026 at 3:37am by Ben Kaplan

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In the closing minutes of Nebraska's Sweet 16 loss to Iowa, the Cornhuskers had only 4 players on the floor during a crucial possession, leading to an easy dunk by Iowa's Alvaro Folgueiras. Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg took responsibility for the mistake, calling it a "miscommunication" on his part.

Why it matters

This play proved to be a pivotal moment in the game, as Iowa went on to win 77-71 and advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1987. The lapse in player substitution by Nebraska's coaching staff highlighted the importance of attention to detail in high-stakes tournament games.

The details

With Nebraska trailing by 3 points and 58.8 seconds remaining, the Cornhuskers were trying to get the ball inbounded when they realized they only had 4 players on the floor. As Kael Combs looked to pass the ball, Iowa's Alvaro Folgueiras recognized the mismatch and raced to the basket, catching Combs' long pass for an uncontested dunk. Folgueiras then converted the and-1 free throw to extend Iowa's lead to 6 points.

  • With 58.8 seconds left in the game, Nebraska had only 4 players on the floor.
  • Alvaro Folgueiras scored the crucial dunk and converted the and-1 free throw.

The players

Fred Hoiberg

The head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers basketball team who took responsibility for the mistake of having only 4 players on the floor during a critical late-game possession.

Alvaro Folgueiras

The Iowa Hawkeyes player who capitalized on Nebraska's mistake, catching a long pass for an uncontested dunk and converting the and-1 free throw to extend Iowa's lead.

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What they’re saying

“Put that one on me. It was a miscommunication and I'm the head coach.”

— Fred Hoiberg, Head Coach, Nebraska Cornhuskers

“I saw some movement on the bench. I just told Kael to get me the ball because I saw that there were only four on the floor. They were trying to figure out who they were guarding.”

— Alvaro Folgueiras

“I was like, I don't know why he isn't being guarded. I didn't know (they only had four players on the floor), and then he dunked it, and then I'm like, 'What the heck just happened?'”

— Ben McCollum, Head Coach, Iowa Hawkeyes

What’s next

The NCAA is expected to review the incident and determine if any rules violations occurred. Nebraska will also likely conduct an internal investigation to prevent similar mistakes in the future.

The takeaway

This play underscores the importance of coaching discipline and attention to detail, even in the high-pressure environment of the NCAA Tournament. Nebraska's mistake allowed Iowa to capitalize and secure a critical victory, highlighting the fine margins that decide games at the highest level of college basketball.