The neon lights of the Las Vegas Strip usually favor the house, but last April, they belonged to a bunch of college kids from Lincoln. If you were looking for crown basketball tournament scores during the post-season madness, you likely saw one name dominating the ticker: Nebraska. The inaugural College Basketball Crown didn't just fill a gap in the schedule; it basically rewrote how we look at teams that "just missed" the Big Dance.
Most people expected the blue bloods or the big-market programs to waltz through the bracket. Instead, we got a dogfight.
The Nebraska Run and Those Final Scores
Honestly, the way Nebraska handled the pressure was kinda wild. They didn't just win; they looked like they belonged in the Final Four of the other tournament. The final score of the championship game—Nebraska 77, UCF 66—doesn't quite capture how much of a battle it was at T-Mobile Arena. UCF kept hanging around, but Juwan Gary was on another planet. He ended up with the MVP trophy, and for good reason. He averaged 19 points and 8 boards over the week.
Here is how the road to the title actually looked:
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- First Round: Nebraska 86, Arizona State 78. A shootout that set the tone.
- Quarterfinals: Nebraska 81, Georgetown 69. This is where people realized the Huskers were for real.
- Semifinals: Nebraska 79, Boise State 69. Boise was the trendy pick, but they couldn't stop the perimeter game.
- Championship: Nebraska 77, UCF 66.
Brice Williams was the guy who really kept the scoreboard moving, finishing as the tournament's top scorer with 93 total points. If you've ever watched Fred Hoiberg’s teams, you know they want to get up and down the floor. They did exactly that.
Why the Crown Scores Matter More Than the NIT
There’s been a lot of talk about whether we actually need another postseason tournament. Some fans think it's overkill. But if you look at the crown basketball tournament scores from the early rounds, the intensity was higher than your average NIT game. Why? Because of the conference tie-ins. The Big Ten, Big 12, and Big East actually backed this thing.
Take the Villanova vs. USC game in the quarterfinals. Villanova 60, USC 59. That’s a nail-biter by any definition. Eric Dixon went on a second-half tear that basically saved the Wildcats' season from being a total "what if." Or look at that semifinal between UCF and Villanova. A score of 104-98? In a postseason game? That’s not a "consolation" game; that’s a track meet with a basketball.
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The Underdog Factor in the Bracket
Boise State was the team that almost crashed the party. They came in as an at-large but played like they had a chip on their shoulder. Their quarterfinal win over Butler, a 100-93 overtime thriller, was arguably the game of the tournament. It showed that the Mountain West could go toe-to-toe with the Big East and win the efficiency battle.
What to Watch for in 2026
The dates are already circled for the next round. The 2026 College Basketball Crown is headed back to T-Mobile Arena on April 4 and 5, 2026.
If you're tracking these scores, remember that the selection process is evolving. We're looking at an eight-team field for 2026, which means the "fluff" is gone. Every game is going to be a heavyweight fight. The automatic bids for the top non-NCAA tournament teams from the Big Ten, Big 12, and Big East stay in place. This makes the regular-season finish for those middle-of-the-pack teams incredibly high-stakes.
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One thing the 2025 scores taught us is that "mid-major" powerhouses like Boise State are going to be the dangerous spoilers. If you’re betting on or just following the 2026 scores, keep an eye on the NET rankings in late February. That’s usually where the Crown field starts to take shape.
To stay ahead of the next tournament cycle, start monitoring the "First Four Out" projections for the NCAA tournament. The teams sitting at 69, 70, and 71 in the NET are the ones most likely to be lighting up the scoreboard in Las Vegas come April. You should also check the official Fox Sports broadcast schedule in March, as they typically release the full bracket and tip-off times immediately after Selection Sunday.