Column: Scouting the Wildcats

WHO Northwestern (15-9, 5-7)

WHAT IU’s chance to reach the 20-win plateau and win three games in a row for the first time since Jan. 8

WHEN 6:30 p.m.

WHERE Assembly Hall

HOW Big Ten Network (Tom Hart, Eddie Johnson), IU Radio Network, Live Audio on IUHoosiers.com

Scouting Northwestern

Head coach

Bill Carmody, 12th season

Leading scorer

Senior forward John Shurna, 19.9 points per game

Leading rebounder

Senior forward John Shurna, 5.7 rpg

Best win

Home against No. 7 Michigan State, 81-74

Worst loss

Home against Purdue, 58-56

What they do well

Three-point shooting. The Wildcats have made the most 3-pointers in the Big Ten with 215 and own the second-highest three-point shooting percentage at 38.6.

What needs work Defense and rebounding. Northwestern gives up the second-most points of any Big Ten team, as its defense is allowing an average of 67.9 points per game. Meanwhile, the Wildcats are pulling down an average of just 30.1 boards per game, which ranks them at 324 of 344 Division I teams.

Projected starters

Indiana

G Jordan Hulls 12.2 points per game

G Victor Oladipo 10.8

F Derek Elston 4.7

F Christian Watford 12.4

F Cody Zeller 15.4

Northwestern

G Drew Crawford 16.8 points per game

G Reggie Hearn 7.5

G Alex Marcotullio 4.8

G Dave Sobolewski 9.1

F John Shurna 19.9

My take

I have a better chance of landing a date with a Third Street sorority girl than Northwestern does of winning this game. The ninth-place Wildcats continue their descent into the Big Ten’s basement and another likely absence at the NCAA Tournament as they roll into Bloomington.

Coach Bill Carmody has the Big Ten’s top-scoring duo in senior forward John Shurna (the conference’s leading scorer) and well-rounded guard Drew Crawford. However, besides those two, the Wildcats have some serious depth issues, with no other player averaging double-digit scoring.

With virtually no inside game, Northwestern thrives on its 3-point shooting game, which sometimes isn’t even enough. Sunday at Purdue, the Wildcats made 10 3-pointers and still lost by 10. Even if the Wildcats are hitting from beyond the arc, they will have no answer for IU freshman forward Cody Zeller on the other end of the floor — if the Hoosiers can feed it to the post effectively.

IU Coach Tom Crean’s squad should be able to dominate on the boards and inside. The Hoosiers’ aggressive play and physicality can win the game and tie their longest conference win streak at a crucial point in the season with six games remaining.