Three takes on Nebraska men's basketball's 2022-23 Big Ten matchups
The Big Ten Conference announced its full slate of league matchups for the upcoming 2022-23 season, and Nebraska’s schedule took further shape.
Here are three quick takeaways on the Huskers’ conference pairings…
1. The single-play slate is advantageous
More often than not, Nebraska ends up with the short end of the stick when it comes to its single-play Big Ten matchups. This year, though, the Huskers actually came out pretty good.
Only having to play Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio State once each is a nice draw for an NU team desperately needing to take a step forward in conference play.
The only bad news was getting Northwestern just once (at home), as that is one less opportunity for head coach Fred Hoiberg’s team to get a relatively favorable league game.
Related: Nebraska women’s basketball 2022-2023 opponents announced
2. The double-play matchups are a grind
The other side to Nebraska’s Big Ten pairings is that having a grueling list of double-play opponents is basically unavoidable in this conference.
While the Huskers got out of home/away draws against some of the league favorites like Indiana and Michigan, they inherently got stuck with two games against the likes of Purdue, Illinois, Michigan State, Maryland, and Iowa.
Again, it’s impossible not to get stuck with a handful of daunting double-play matchups in the Big Ten. So, all things considered, NU still came out OK.
Related: Huskers make 2023 wing Pryce Sandfort a clear priority during unofficial visit
3. NU will be racking up the miles
The geography of the Big Ten spans from the middle of the map to the East Coast, and Nebraska will travel to all of the conference’s furthest locations this season.
The Huskers will have to fly to Rutgers, Penn State, and Maryland. Those trips alone will rack up more than 3,400 miles through the air.
Travel is another part of playing in a league that stretches so far across the country, and NU will get the full experience of that with some long flights this winter.
Related: Huskers land commitment from 2023 PG Chase Clemmons
