Troy Trojans' NCAA Journey Begins

Troy Trojans secure NCAA Tournament bid, face Nebraska in first round The Troy Trojans mens basketball team, led by junior forward Thomas Dowd and coach Scott Cross, has earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year. The thirteen-seed Trojans, with a 22-11 record, will face the four-seed Nebraska Cornhuskers, who stand at 26-6, in the first round. The game will take place on Thursday at 11:40 a.m. in Oklahoma City at the Paycom Center, airing on truTV. Troys success can be attributed to their dominant performance in the Sun Belt Conference tournament, where they defeated Southern Miss and Georgia Southern to secure the championship. This marks the fourth NCAA appearance in school history, with the team looking to build on their momentum from last years tournament. Key players like Dowd, who shattered records and earned all-conference honors, and junior Victor Valdes, who set the school mark for free throws made, have contributed to the teams success. Coach Cross, who recently hit his 350th win, has also played a significant role in the teams achievements. Despite losing starters to the transfer portal, the teams chemistry has remained strong, with eleven returners stepping up to fill the void. Sophomore Kerrington Kiel provided clutch bench scoring and leadership, while senior Jerrell Bellamy averaged 18.5 points in the tournament semis and final after an injury to a starter. With everyone embracing their roles and believing in bigger things ahead, the Troy Trojans head into the big dance more prepared than last year, ready to build on their momentum. Support the show: Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN: [email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting. Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates: https://sources.thednn.ai/8319ff482e75e1b8