Honors & Awards
- Academic All-Big Ten (2019)
- Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2017, 2018)
- Tom Osborne Citizenship Team
2018-19 (Outlook)
Justin Costello returns after a promising redshirt campaign. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound guard gained nearly 20 pounds since arriving on campus, and was chosen by his teammates as the Lifter of the Year last spring for his efforts in the weight room. On the court, Costello adds depth and shooting in the Husker backcourt, as he averaged 18.6 points per game, including 67 3-pointers, as a senior at Elkhorn South. He joins high school teammate Johnny Trueblood on the Husker roster, as the pair helped Elkhorn South to a Class B state title in 2015. If Costello, a walk-on, can continue to make strides on both ends of the court, he could be in position to eventually earn a spot in NU's rotation.
2017-18 (Redshirt)
Costello redshirted in 2017-18 and worked with the Husker scout team in practice.
Before Nebraska
Costello was a four-year starter for Elkhorn South, helping the Storm to three Class B state tournament appearances during his high school career.
As a senior for Coach Nolan Reilly, Costello led Elkhorn South to the 2017 Nebraska Class B State Tournament, averaging 18.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game to earn first-team Class B honors from both the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal Star. Costello shot 43 percent from the field, including 67 3-pointers, and 78 percent from the line for the Storm. He had a pair of 30-point games as a senior in helping Elkhorn South finish with an 18-7 record, including a 39-point outburst against Lincoln Southwest. In that game, Costello went 9-of-11 from 3-point range, one of seven games where he had at least four 3-pointers in a game in 2016-17.
A three-time all-state pick, he earned second-team All-Class B honors from the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal Star as a junior, he averaged 18.0 points and 3.1 rebounds per game and was an honorable-mention pick as a sophomore, as Elkhorn South went 21-5 and won its first Class B state title. He was also a three-time all-conference pick.
He played AAU ball for the Omaha Sports Academy and Coach Jim Simons, reaching the quarterfinals in the Fab 48 in 2016.
In addition to his basketball exploits, Costello ran one year of track and played soccer for Elkhorn South as a senior, helping the school to a state title in 2017. He was also an honor roll member throughout his high school career at Elkhorn South.
Personal
Justin is the son of Kristi and Chris Costello and was born on June 24, 1998, in Omaha. He has one sister, Siera. Justin majors in communication studies and earned academic All-Big Ten honors in 2019. He is a two-time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll selection.