Eagles to Face Villanova in Never Forget Tribute Classic

BC will face Villanova in the Never Forget Tribute Classic on Dec. 10

Eagles to Face Villanova in Never Forget Tribute Classic

September 01, 2022 | Men's Basketball

The two long-time Big East rivals play on Saturday, Dec. 10 at the Prudential Center

By: Athletic Communications

NEWARK, N.J. – Boston College will take on long-time Big East rival Villanova at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on Saturday, Dec. 10 in the sixth edition of the Never Forget Tribute Classic. The game will air live on FOX at 5:00 p.m.

The two teams have played each other seventy-eight times in their history with Villanova leading the all-time series between the two teams 54-24. The last matchup took place in 2020, when the No. 3-ranked Wildcats edged the Eagles, 76-67, in the Legends Classic held at Bubbleville at Mohegan Sun.

Tickets begin at $40 and go on sale to the general public on Thursday, Sept. 1 at 10 a.m. via PruCenter.com/Events/Never-Forget-Tribute-Classic, Ticketmaster.com, and Prudential Center's Box Office. For Group Opportunities for more than nine people, call (973) 757-6000 or email GroupEvents@PruCenter.com; for Premium Seating opportunities, visit PruCenter.com/Premium.

"We are looking forward to facing our long-time rival Villanova as part of the Never Forget Tribute Classic," said Boston College's Men's Head Basketball Coach Earl Grant. "It will be a great opportunity to play in front of all our passionate fans and alumni in the metropolitan area."

The hard-charging Boston College Eagles enter the 2022-23 season with a balanced mix of veterans, newcomers, and transfers as it looks to build upon the momentum from head coach Earl Grant's inaugural season. BC returns four starters from a team that made a run into the quarterfinals of the ACC Championship - narrowly missing the program's first trip to the semifinals since the 2006-07 season. Leading the way for the Eagles' backcourt is Makai Ashton-Langford. His backcourt mate Jaeden Zackery was one of the top newcomers in the ACC a season ago. The Eagles also boast returning starters DeMarr Langford Jr. and T.J. Bickerstaff. Langford Jr. is an elite ACC-level athletic talent, while Bickerstaff proved to be one of the league's top rebounders in 2022-23.

One of the country's most underrated big men, Quinten Post played his way onto the ACC's All-Tournament team a year ago, averaging 14.0 points and 5.0 boards in the three games in Brooklyn. Adding to the veterans in the locker room is Cincinnati transfer Mason Madsen. Boston College hit the recruiting trail hard a season ago, posting one of the highest-rated classes in program history. BC added two four-star rated recruits in the same class for the first time, in Prince Aligbe and Donald Hand Jr. Aligbe is a talented, athletic small forward who will make an immediate impact. Hand Jr. - was one of the top players out of Virginia and can score from all facets on the court.

Villanova enters a new era under first year head coach Kyle Neptune. Neptune, who served a decade on the Wildcats' coaching staff before being named head coach at Fordham University in April 2021, steps in for retired Hall of Fame coach Jay Wright. Job one will be to replace departed four-year starters Collin Gillespie and Jermaine Samuels. Three veterans will lead the way: Brandon Slater, Caleb Daniels, and Justin Moore. Moore continues his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon suffered in the NCAA Elite Eight victory over Houston. Junior forward Eric Dixon moved into the starting lineup last season and is expected to take another step forward in 2022-23. Senior Chris Arcidiacono and sophomore Jordan Longino were valued role players a season ago with room to grow while incoming freshmen Cam Whitmore and New Jersey native Mark Armstrong helped USA Basketball to a gold medal at the FIBA U118 Americas tournament in June 2022.

"We had the opportunity to take part in the 2016 Never Forget Tribute Classic against Notre Dame," said Villanova's Men's Head Basketball Coach Kyle Neptune. "That was an amazing experience for our team honoring the families of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks while playing in an awesome environment at Prudential Center. We're looking forward to returning in December to face one of Villanova's great former Big East rivals, Boston College."

"Prudential Center could not be more excited to partner with Scout Sports & Entertainment and Fastlane to host the sixth edition of the Never Forget Tribute Classic," said Dylan Wanagiel, Vice President of Sports Properties & Special Events at Prudential Center. "A marquee matchup with two former Big East Conference rivals will make for an electric atmosphere in Newark this December."

For the sixth edition, the Never Forget Tribute Classic will support a 9/11-inspired charity; the recipient of support from the 2022 event will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

About Prudential Center:
Prudential Center is the world-class sports and entertainment venue located in downtown Newark, New Jersey. Opened in October 2007, the state-of-the-art arena is the home of the National Hockey League's (NHL) three-time Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils, Seton Hall University's NCAA Division I Men's Basketball program, and more than 175 concerts, family shows and special events each year. Ranked in the Top 8 nationally by Pollstar, Billboard and Venues Today, Prudential Center is recognized as one of the premier venues in the United States, and hosts over 2 million guests annually. For more information about Prudential Center, visit PruCenter.com and follow the arena on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @PruCenter. Prudential Center is a Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment property.

About Fastlane:
Founded in 2006, Fastlane is a leading independent, full-service branding, licensing, marketing and sports management firm that helps its valued clients expand market share, mind share and heart share. The agency has a growing portfolio of valued clients and partners across the professional, collegiate and high school sports market. In short, Fastlane helps create value through smart, integrated strategies that interconnect sports, media and entertainment as well as content, community and commerce. The firm's best practices cover Planning, Branding, Marketing, Engagement & Growth. For more information, visit www.fastlane.co

About Scout Sports and Entertainment, a division of Horizon Media, Inc.
Scout is the sports, entertainment, experiential, measurement and property consulting division of Horizon Media Inc., the largest U.S. media agency, delivering data-driven business outcomes for some of the world's most innovative and ambitious brands. A nationally recognized and award-winning agency, Scout offers a full range of marketing capabilities, including sponsorship consulting, research, negotiation, strategy, partnership acquisition, activation, and endorsements. Other disciplines include media property creation, media rights and the most comprehensive sponsorship analytics across all verticals of measurement and media type. The division was launched and led by Michael A. Neuman, a recognized leader in sports marketing, sponsorship and marketing partnerships.

About Horizon Media:
Horizon Media, Inc, the largest U.S. media agency according to AdAge Data Center 2021, delivers data-driven business outcomes for some of the world's most innovative and ambitious brands. Founded in 1989, headquartered in New York, and with offices in Los Angeles and Toronto, the company employs 2,400 people and has media investments of more than $9 billion. Horizon Media's fundamental belief is that business is personal, which drives its approach to connecting brands with their customers and engaging with its own employees resulting in industry-leading workplace satisfaction levels (Glassdoor). The company is consistently recognized by independent media outlets for its client excellence and has earned several "Best Workplaces" awards reflecting its commitment to DEI and the life and well-being of everyone at Horizon Media.