Nebraska was once in a great spot to make the final field for the NCAA Tournament. Now, that thought feels like ancient history after the Huskers ended the season with one final thud — and dud — vs. Iowa.

Playing at home on Senior Day, Nebraska gave up 40 first-half points and never found its defense in the second half. It culminated with an 83-68 blowout at the hands of the Hawkeyes with Iowa cruising to a win that solidified its spot in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament.

Unfortunately, the Huskers will not be so lucky. While the full bracket has yet to be released by the Big Ten, it is confirmed that Sunday’s game between Iowa and Nebraska was for a spot in the league tournament with the top 15 teams advancing in the new 18-team league.

That means Nebraska’s season is over with the bubble hopes for the Big Dance officially popped by the Hawkeyes. Nebraska could sweat out Selection Sunday next weekend if the team truly wants to, but the hopes are shot.

Entering the weekend, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi had the Huskers in the 4th spot of his “First Four Out” group to make the NCAA Tournament. So, without any more games on the schedule, Nebraska’s portfolio is complete, and it is unlikely to be strong enough considering the end to the season.

Since beating Ohio State on Feb. 9, Nebraska went 1-6 to end the regular season, including a 5-game losing streak to end the year. Three of those defeats came by 3 points or less, including a double overtime thriller vs. the Buckeyes that helped elevate Ohio State’s chances at the Big Dance.

It’s a gut-wrenching way for Nebraska to end the season and is only compounded by the performances of an in-state program poised to crash the March Madness party.

Omaha will face St. Thomas (Minnesota) on Sunday night in the Summit League Championship, but the game has no bearing on the automatic bid for the conference. St. Thomas is ineligible as the program continues its DI transition, so the Mavericks are officially into the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever.

A particularly sobering thought, Omaha now has a chance to etch an NCAA Tournament victory before Nebraska after the Huskers were one-and-done last season. We’ll have to see how the full bracket shakes out, but it sets off a crucial offseason for Fred Hoiberg and his program.