Huskers to host Boston College in ACC/Big Ten Challenge

LINCOLN – Nebraska will see a familiar foe in the 2022 ACC/Big Ten Men’s Basketball Challenge, as the Huskers will host Boston College at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 30. The matchup will mark the second meeting between the Huskers and Eagles and first since a 71-62 Husker victory at PBA in the 2017 Challenge. 

Start times and network designations will be announced at a later date.  

Under second-year coach Earl Grant, Boston College brings back four starters from a team that won 13 games and tied for 11th in the ACC last season. The Eagles return a trio of double-figure scorers in Makai Ashton-Langford (12.0 ppg, 3.4 apg), DeMarr Langford Jr. (11.3 ppg) and Jaeden Zackery (10.4). 

The Huskers return two of their top four scorers from a year ago for fourth-year coach Fred Hoiberg in super senior Derrick Walker (9.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg) and sophomore guard C.J. Wilcher (8.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 53 3-pointers.  NU has retooled its roster with a trio of Division I transfers in Emmanuel Bandoumel (SMU), Juwan Gary (Alabama) and Sam Griesel (North Dakota State) and a recruiting class that is ranked in the top 30 nationally by both Rivals and 247Sports. That group includes a pair of top-150 recruits in Ramel Lloyd Jr. and Jamarques Lawrence as well as junior college transfer Blaise Keita, who is the No. 4 overall player by JUCORecruiting.com. 

The 2022 matchup with the Eagles will mark NU’s first home ACC/Big Ten Challenge contest with fans in attendance since 2017, as the Huskers have been on the road for three of the last four events. In 2020, NU hosted Georgia Tech, but fans were not allowed permitted due to Covid-19 protocols at the time. Last year, NU lost a 4OT game at North Carolina State, 104-100. Nebraska is 5-6 all-time in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and look to snap a three-game losing streak in the event.  

It is the 24th year of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, as the ACC holds a 12-8-3 lead, but the Big Ten is 8-2-3 over the last 13 seasons. Last season, the Big Ten went 8-6 to retain the Commissioner's Cup for the third straight season. 

Friday’s announcement is the fifth game announced in the Huskers’ 2022-23 non-conference schedule, as NU will compete in the 2022 ESPN Events Invitational over Thanksgiving week, and travel to Kansas City for a neutral-site matchup with Kansas State on Dec. 17. The remainder of the non-conference schedule will be announced later this summer.  

2022 ACC/Big Ten Men’s Basketball Challenge Schedule 
 
Monday, November 28
Minnesota at Virginia Tech
Pitt at Northwestern
 
Tuesday, November 29
Syracuse at Illinois
Maryland at Louisville
Penn State at Clemson
Virginia at Michigan
Wake Forest at Wisconsin
Georgia Tech at Iowa
 
Wednesday, November 30
Ohio State at Duke
Purdue at Florida State
Rutgers at Miami
North Carolina at Indiana
Michigan State at Notre Dame
Boston College at Nebraska