Northwestern Basketball

Northwestern will be appearing in a school record third consecutive post-season when they host Wisconsin-Milwaukee to open the NIT Wednesday night. The Wildcats dreams of winning the Big Ten Tournament and advancing the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament ended against Ohio State Friday. Northwestern took Ohio State to overtime before losing 67-61, the Wildcats' second heartbreaking loss to Ohio State this season.

Shurna regains his stroke

After struggling in the first round win over Minnesota, Junior forward John Shurna seemed to regain his touch against the Buckeyes. Shurna scored 23 points, hit three of his six thre- point attempts and had five rebounds. The NU big three of Shurna, Michael “Juice” Thompson and Drew Crawford combined for 60. When those three are clicking on all cylinders, NU is tough to contend with.

Rebounding a Problem, Defense Steps Up

Rebounding and defense has been NU’s Achilles heel all season. The Buckeyes out-rebounded NU 41-24, including 17-5 on the offensive boards. Buckeye freshman forward Jared Sullinger did most of the damage. He finished the game with 18 rebounds, eight offensive. 

The defense was vastly improved over the rest of the season. NU held Ohio State to 32.2 percent from the floor and the Buckeyes connected on just two of their 15 three point attempts.

The Juice is loose

Michael “Juice “Thompson is finishing his career strongly. Thompson has averaged 21.0 PPG over his last seven.  He has also made 32 consecutive from the free throw line and is shooting 46.9 percent from three in those seven games.

Scouting Milwaukee

Milwaukee enters the NIT for the first time since 2004. They advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2005 under current Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl.

The Panthers earned an automatic bid to the NIT after earning the Horizon league’s top seed in the conference tournament. They finished in a three-way regular season tie with Cleveland State and Butler.

Milwaukee has a big three similar to Northwestern—Anthony Hill, Tone Boyle and Tony Meier all average in double-figures for the Panthers. Hill is the star of the team, their leading scorer and rebounder. He puts up 15.5 PPG and 6.6 RPG.

Milwaukee enters the NIT having won 10 of their last 12 games.

The Panthers are a good matchup for Northwestern. They shoot only 35 percent on threes and just 43 percent from the floor. Their rebounding margin is just .8. Meier is the Panthers' best outside shooter, connecting on 43 percent of his three-point attempts.

Looking Ahead

Northwestern will likely look to run. Northwestern is 16-1 when they score 70 points this season and just 2-12 when they fail to hit 70. They almost pulled it off twice against Ohio State in a slowdown game, but fell just short. The Wildcats have also played extremely well at home, going 12-4. Their only losses were in league to NCAA Tournament participants, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State and Wisconsin.

NU and Milwaukee both played Wisconsin this year with the Wildcats losing twice and Milwaukee once.

Getting off to a good start could be a key for NU. The Wildcats will be hosting their first post-season game 17 years to the day from the last one. If they get the crowd into it early, they can feed off the energy and get the offense going.

Despite the disappointment of not making their early season goal of making the NCAA Tournament, this is the first time in school history that Northwestern has made three straight post-seasons. If they make a run in the NIT, they can use it a springboard for next season. Thompson and Mike Capocci are the only Wildcat seniors that receive significant minutes.

If you had previously thought that Lincoln Park was just a place where your twenty-something friend lived, with bars on every street corner, and trendy restaurants that Groupon features on a daily basis—you have been misled somewhere along the way.

Possibly some of the miscellaneous and mysterious debit card charges after 3 AM that take place when you visit LP may have contributed to this generalization, but who knows?

In reality, some actual families do reside in Lincoln Park—a neighborhood of northern Chicago that is not to be confused with that garbage-eater rock band, Linkin Park, that was somehow immensely popular in the 7th grade.

Northwestern PG, Michael "Juice" Thompson happens to be one of those few proud residents who was once a Lincoln Park Lion. Upon his high school graduation, he broke the Chicago Public League mold and decided to take his basketball talents to that prestigious university along the lakefront.

Although Northwestern basketball hasn't exactly spelled s-u-c-c-e-s-s over the course of their 110 year history, the point guard named after the macerating of fresh fruits knew one thing—he could play early, and he could play often.

As it turns out, that was exactly the situation. Upon his arrival in Evanston, coach Bill Carmody handed Juice the keys. Granted, the keys weren't so much to a fully-equipped Lexus as they were to a wheelchair with a tatteredd purple and white flag hanging from its tarnished hind wheels.

Nonetheless, he was in charge. He took the reigns of the program and has since become the school's fifth all time leading scorer, and holds the NU records for assists, minutes, games played, and games started. It is safe to say that the "Juice" is the most decorated guard in Northwestern history without ever playing in an NCAA tournament game—or ever realistically vying for a Big 10 title.

What I will say about Thompson, though, is that he doesn't take breaks.

Although his list of post season accolades at Northwestern is about as long as Oliver Twist's grocery list, he has always been there to take the fall. He has been in the top 10 in minutes played during all four years of competition in the Big 10, and has ranked as high as second nationally. He hasn't come out to sip the kool-aid 10 different times this season. That's 10 games, 40 minutes a piece, without ever getting a blow.

The truth is, if you watch Northwestern play basketball, you can't help but notice him.

Never was that more apparent than Thursday afternoon in Indianapolis, during the opening round of the Big 10 tournament. Facing elimination for an NCAA tourney bid at the hands of the ever-underachieving Minnesota Golden Gophers, Thompson exploded for a career-high, and Big 10 tourney record 35 points to keep Northwestern alive for another day.

What may be most impressive about Thompson, though, is the way that he puts it through the twine. His repertoire, featuring both 40-foot pull-ups and mid-lane teardrops, is tough for even the bigger point guards in the nation's most physical league to defend. His use of the window from all angles also assures us of his geometry prowess as a high school sophomore.

With Ohio State next on the tournament schedule, Northwestern's dream may melt faster than the February snow in this mid-March match-up—especially with the way Diebler, Sullinger, and the boys have been "Party(ing) in the OSU.".

Then again, the last time the Wildcats and Buckeyes faced off, it took an Alex "Ill-Advised" Mercotullio arid pass to crush the Cats' bid at an upset. But don't be surprised if the Juice squeezes more out of March than the rest of the basketball world expects.

Before we get into Pick of the Day, a special Chicago Sports Noise shout goes out to my hero, Mark "The Big Detrimental" Blaker for impressively pulling off the persona of Steelers tight end, Heath Miller, on two separate occasions.

Maybe it was the fact that he carried around the pigskin for the majority of the night and lobbed himself replica TD catches. Or, it may have been the fact that he was spewing Heath's fantasy stats to random passersby like he was a four time fantasy owner of the forgettable blocking specialist.

Either way, it all culminated with his taking a late night picture posing as himself (Heath Miller) with two sizable Steelers fans at a local McDonald's. One up yourself Big Blake, you earned it.

As for Pick of the Day, the Pulse Man likes the Celtics to win by more than two in Philly on Friday night. It's St. Patrick's day, after all, lets channel our inner Celtic Pride.

Just another great movie performance by Shooter McGavin.

Pick of the Day: Celtics (-2) @ 76ers- CELTICS

Record:(61-46-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

How can one describe Luka Mirkovic?

He's a 6'11'' center on the Northwestern Wildcats Men's Basketball team. He wears a protective face mask to protect his broken nose, even though it's been five months since he broke it. Despite being 6'11'', I have yet to see him dunk a basketball or lift two feet off the ground, but he's got one more year left, so we still may see it happen.

Most importantly, Luka plays with the fire that is needed of all basketball players, but especially ones that just aren't as talented as other players.

Let's compare Luka Mirkovic and Jared Sullinger.

Sullinger is a couple inches shorter than Mirkovic but has the talent and physicality as well as the ability to dunk the ball with have a vertical of over two feet. He is also the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and has made a case to be the Big Ten Player of the Year.

Meanwhile, in Luka's three years at Northwestern, he has compiled stats of just over six points per game and just under five rebounds per game.

Enough with the criticism of Mirkovic, let's see why he is considered a fan favorite in Evanston.

Some compare him to a Cliff Livingston, a reserve player for the Chicago Bulls during their title run, or a significantly less talented version of Kevin Garnett (remember, I'm comparing based on intensity).

He always loves to pump his chest after he makes a shot that is outside the lane or anything that he considers significant (blocked shot, drawn charge). He also decides that it's electrifying when he pumps his chest and screams towards fans, whether he is at home or on the road.

He is absolutely adored by the Northwestern fans because of the intensity and emotion that he plays with, but, in the Big Ten and everywhere else in the country, he is despised.

It has gotten so bad that he is booed every time he touches the ball.

It also doesn't help his reputation that he raises both of his hands in the air when he makes a three-pointer. I mean, the only players that ever perform an act like this are three-point specialists such as Ray Allen, Mike Miller and J.J. Redick.

Intensity is a contributing factor to teams winning games, but, at a certain point, there has to be something to back up that intensity—like talent.

Dear Northwestern,

Elliott Smith, Class of 1997 here, making a small request as my beloved alma mater wraps up another disappointing basketball season for about the 70th year in a row. Sure, we played well against Ohio State, but that and $2.49 might get you a coffee at Starbucks.

You know how you call me almost every single night, under the pretense of finding out what I want from my university, but in actuality you're begging me for money? Well, I’m writing this to tell you what I really want from NU. 

I want you to fire Bill Carmody—like, right now—get on the phone to Butler’s Brad Stevens and do whatever it takes to make him the next coach of the Northwestern Wildcats.

Oh, you want to tell me how much you like Carmody? How the Cats have improved during his 11-year tenure? Look, when I was in school, we made the NIT and it was thrilling. But that was 15 years ago. Making the NIT field for three straight years isn’t cause for celebration in 2011.

The Carmody experiment has run its course, and to be frank, it ran a few years too long. I don’t care that you signed him to the most ill-suited contract extension in college basketball history, it’s time for him to hit the bricks. 

There’s simply NO excuse why we shouldn’t be able to realistically compete for an NCAA tournament berth, and you have to blame coaching for that. Plus, even though the TV guys go out of their way to kiss Carmody’s ass, the guy hasn’t shown me he’s the coaching genius he’s been purported to be. How else can you explain why we can’t break a trap? Or draw up halfway decent plays in crunch time?

You say we went 18-13 this year? Big whoop, when you consider that our non-conference schedule, filled with the Directional States and Obscure Us of the country, was one of the worst in college basketball. There’s a reason why an 18-13 Michigan State team is on the bubble and we’ve never been in the conversation. Because they actually play good teams. Imagine that!

But anyway, Northwestern, back to my request. Brad Stevens. You know the guy: young, dynamic coach at Butler who took the Bulldogs to the championship game last year? Yeah, him.

This is the guy we need to turn the program around, to rid us of laughingstock status when tourney time rolls around. I live in Washington, DC—I shouldn’t be reading stories in the local paper about our tournament futility. Stevens has proven that he can do more with less, and moving to the Big 10 (12) will only increase his stature and ability to recruit the fertile Chicago area that you have ignored over the years.

You want to let me know that Stevens signed a contract extension through 2021? And? I know you have the money to get Butler to let Stevens go and sign him to a lucrative deal that won’t make him miss Indy. Your endowment last year was $6.3 billion, so I think you’ve got some wiggle room there.

You think Tavares Hardy might make a good coach? Maybe. I’ve got nothing against Hardy—he’s actually been a decent recruiter and I would hope Stevens keeps him around—but hiring him as the head coach would be the kind of zero-reward move Northwestern has been making for years.

It’s time to make a splash, time to move forward with someone who can energize the tepid fan base, the purple-seated donors and the bitter alums like myself.

Brad Stevens, Northwestern. Make it happen. Until then, don’t bother calling me.

Sincerely,
Elliott

Michael Thompson set a Big Ten Tournament record with 35 points as Northwestern defeated Minnesota 75-65 to advance to the Big Ten Quarterfinals for a matchup with top ranked and tournament number one seed Ohio State.

Cats Pull Away in the Second Half

Northwestern used   a 13-1 run to turn a 44-42 deficit into a 55-45 lead. Thompson’s well rounded day also included four rebounds and four assists. The senior point guard didn’t have to do it all for NU to pull out a win. Drew Crawford and Alex Marcotulio combined for 28 points and 12 rebounds and Nick Fruendt unexpectedly contributed seven off the bench. Fruendt had only scored 26 points all season before Thursday.

Shurna

To defeat the Buckeyes, NU is going to need John Shurna going. John Shurna seemed to be back on track entering the Big Ten Tournament. He averaged 14.6 PPG in his last five regular season games. Shurna managed only two points, but did contribute seven rebounds in the victory over Minnesota. The junior forward shot over 50 percent only once in his last 11 games. He missed the Wildcats one point loss to the Buckeyes in January. If Bill Carmody can get his star going in the Big Ten Quarters than NU might pull the upset in Indy. Shurna missed the first meeting after suffering a concussion in the previous game against Minnesota.

Role Players Stepping Up

In order to stun the college basketball world, Northwestern is going to need one of its role players to step up. Freshman guard Jershon Cobb is still out with a hip injury and its unclear if reserve forward Mike Capocci is recovered from his concussion. Capocci scored a season high 11 in the first meeting with the Buckeyes.

Marcotulio has stepped up in Cobb’s absence. The sophomore guard has 31 points and has shot 41 percent on three-pointers in his last two games.

To counter Sullinger, Luka Mirkovic is going to need to give them some inside scoring. The junior center had a midseason stretch scoring in double figures five times in six games. If Mirkovic can give NU a presence in the paint it will open up the lane and the give the outside shooters more space.

The “Juice”

Thompson’s play has picked up as Shurna has struggled with the after affects of the concussion and an injured ankle. Over his last six games, Thompson has average 22 points, 4.2 APG and is shooting 48.8 percent on his three-point attempts.

Injuries

The play of Freundt and Marcotulio was important as Northwestern was missing backup Mike Capocci to a concussion and starting guard Jershon Cobb to a hip injury. Getting Capocci back for Ohio State will provide NU with some needed depth. Capocci scored 11 against Ohio State earlier this season.

Scouting the Buckeyes

Jared Sullinger has received many of the accolades this season for Ohio State. It has been balance that has fueled the way to 29-2 record and likely number one seed in the NCAA Tournament. Sullinger gives the Buckeyes 17.3 PPG and 9.7 RPG.

The Buckeyes are a balanced team. Four players average in double figures. Sullinger is their leading scorer and rebounder, but they also shoot the ball exceptionally well. Jon Diebler is the Big Ten’s All-Time leader in three point field goals made. He has been scorching of late. The 6’6 senior has connected on 17 of 20 beyond the Arc in his last two games.

As a team, Ohio State shoots 50 percent from the field and 41.9 percent on threes. That puts them third nationally. Diebler’s 51.1 three-point percentage puts him this nationally.

William Buford and David Lighty also shoot the ball wall from beyond the arc.  Buford and Lighty are both average in double figures and more than three rebounds and three assists each.

Regular Season Meeting

Ohio State needed a late steal and a free throw by Sullinger to escape Evanston 58-57 in January. Northwestern’s formula to success the last two seasons has been to score more than 70 to win. Against the Buckeyes, they utilized a slower tempo. That limited the amount of possessions.

Rebounding and Defense have hurt Northwestern all season long. In the earlier meeting, the Wildcats actually out-rebounded bigger, more athletic Ohio State 22-18. NU also ran their offense perfectly with 16 assists on 20 made baskets. Ohio State was able shoot efficiently, hitting 56.8 percent of their field goals.

Chances for an Upset

Northwestern has had a few chances for a big upset this season, but they have only come through against then number 24 Illinois in January. That game was a week after losing to Ohio State. With a season that began with high expectations, NU can still give their fans a moment to remember if they upset the Buckeyes.

Dave O’Brien and Dan Dakich will be on the call for the 11:00 AM CST Tip-off on ESPN. 

Northwestern and Minnesota will face off for the third time this season when the play in the inaugural game of the 2011 Big Ten Tournament. 

They will tip-off at 1:30 CST on ESPN2.  They split the first two meetings this season—each team winning at home.  This will be third time in the last four years, and fifth time overall, that the Gophers and Wildcats will play in the Big Ten Tournament.

Minnesota has won three of the previous four meetings.

Season Series

Minnesota played its first game without injured starting point guard Al Nolen. The Gophers were able to exploit their size advantage to post an 81-70 victory.

The Gophers' starting frontcourt of Trevor Mbawke, Ralph Sampson III, and Colton Iverson combined for 47 points and 22 rebounds; and Blake Hoffarber contributed 20 points, three rebounds, and four assists.

NU’s big three of Michael Thompson, John Shurna, and Drew Crawford combined for 49 in the loss.

Minnesota improved to 16-4 with that win against Northwestern. The season would spiral out of control from there.  The Gophers finished the season losing nine of their last ten to finish 17-13.

The teams’ second meeting in Evanston was last Wednesday.

It was Northwestern’s regular season finale. Northwestern was able to turn around a six-point halftime deficit with a 15-2 run early in the second half to pull away for a 68-57 victory. Mbakwe was the only Gopher to reach double figures.

Four Wildcats finished in double figures, including Michael Thompson playing in his last regular season home game at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Northwestern’s 10 made three-point shots to the Gophers' 2-17 from beyond the arc proved to be the difference.

Scouting Northwestern

Northwestern has been at its best this season—when they are able to push the ball.

When the Wildcats score 70 or more, they are 15-1. NU is only 2-11 when they have failed to reach that mark.  After leading the Big Ten in scoring a season ago, Northwestern finished third in the conference this season, shooting 38.1 percent on three-point shots. 

Northwestern has relied heavily this season on their big three of Senior Michael Thompson, Junior John Shurna, and Sophomore Drew Crawford.  They combine for 61 percent of the Wildcats scoring, 52 percent of the assists, and over 70 percent of the three-point shots.

When all three are playing well, Northwestern is difficult to defend. Shurna and Thompson earned spots on the Big Ten All-Tournament team earlier this week.

Shooting the three is a big part of the NU offense. Northwestern led the Big Ten this season in three-point shots, both made and attempted.

NU’s bench provided a huge lift in their meeting with Minnesota last week. Center Davide Curletti and Guard Alex Marcotulio combined for 30 points in the victory.

Freshman Guard Jershon Cobb is expected to miss his third straight game with a hip injury, and Shurna still wears a walking boot when he is not on the court—according to the Chicago Sun Times.

Rebounding and defense have been a struggle for NU all season.

Their minus 6.7 rebounding margin in conference games ranks last in the conference. They were able to overcome a 32-27 deficit on the boards in their victory over the Golden Gophers last season.  NU was last in field goal percentage defense, and seventh in three-point field goal percentage defense.

Scouting Minnesota

Getting Blake Hoffarber on track will be a key for the Gophers. He's had only nine games this season shooting 50 percent or better. All of his shooting percentages have dropped from last season.  Hoffarber shot five of ten from the field, made all eight of his free throws, and connected on two of five on threes—finishing with 20 points in victory.

In the Gophers' loss in Evanston, Hoffarber was only two of nine from the floor, and finished with five points.

Trevor Mbawke has had an outstanding first season for Tubby Smith. He averages 13.7 PPG and 10.4 RPG and has 18 double-doubles. He led the Big Ten in rebounding, and Mbakwe was awarded second team All-Conference after his outstanding season.

Minnesota has had a disappointing season.  At the time of Nolen’s injury, the Gophers were 16-4 and ranked No. 16 in the country.  They have never completely recovered.

At 10.2 PPG, Sampson is the only other Gopher in double figures. He also averages 5.2 RPG and 2.4 BPG. 

If the game gets into a shooting contest, the Gophers will likely struggle. They shot only 32 percent on three-point attempts, and they also finished last from the free throw line.

Defensively, Minnesota will have a big edge on the Wildcats.

The Golden Gophers led the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense, blocked shots, and rebounding margin.  It will be a battle of one of the best defensive teams in the Big Ten against one of its best shooting teams. 

What’s on the Line?

Northwestern should be safe in receiving an NIT bid. A win could provide them with a big boost in seeding, and possibly give them a home game. 

Minnesota should be safe, but if they lose to Northwestern it would be their tenth loss in their last eleven games. That could give the NIT committee reason to doubt how well the Golden Gophers would play in the NIT.

The winner advances to the quarterfinals to play top-ranked and number one seed Ohio State at 11am CST Friday on ESPN.

After another tough loss to Penn State and their NCAA Tournament hopes all but gone, Northwestern will try to capture a signature win this season when travel to Madison to face Wisconsin.  It will be senior day at the Kohl Center.  NU’s football team also traveled to Madison on senior day and got waxed 70-21. Add in the Badgers 78-46 basketball victory, and the Wildcats will seek some respect in the Dairy State’s Capital City.

Northwestern appeared to be back to their pre-Big Ten level of play with a two-game winning streak before facing the Nittany Lions. Northwestern is 4-0 against the Big Ten’s last place teams, Indiana and Iowa.  They are 2-10 against the rest of the league.  They can still make a push to move above the ninth seed they currently hold if the Big Ten Tournament would start today.

Northwestern troubles have been poor shooting, rebounding and defense.  When they travel to Wisconsin, it should be a clean game. NU and UW are the nation’s top two teams in turnover margin and they rank first and fifth in turnovers. The Badgers commit just 7.7 turnovers per game and NU 10.4.

In their last meeting in Evanston, Wisconsin broke open a 14 all tie and dominated the rest of the game. They outscored Northwestern, 31-12, the remainder of the first half. The Badgers then opened the second half on a 24-4 run. The Wildcats went scoreless for over a five and half minute stretch in the second half.

Badgers' freshman Josh Gasser had a triple-double and Jon Leuer had 19 points as five Badgers reached double figures in 78-46 win.

All of the Wildcats problems were prevalent in the last meeting. Wisconsin held a 31-17 rebounding advantage and the Badgers out shot the Wildcats 55.4 to 41.5 percent from the floor. The Badgers also made 12 of their 26 three-point attempts, while NU hit on just two of 10.

Parts of Northwestern’s struggles are because of multiple injuries to star forward John Shurna. Shurna averaged 24.4 PPG for the first nine games of the season. The 6’6" Wooden Award finalist suffered a high ankle sprain against Mount St. Mary’s in the 10th game of the season. He hasn’t been consistent since. Shurna also suffered a concussion at Minnesota.  His average has dipped to 17.0 PPG for the season ever since.

Wisconsin is led by Leuer and guard Jordan Taylor. They are the only Badgers to average double figures. Taylor has been mentioned as a possible Big Ten Player of the Year Candidate. He is likely to finish third behind Purdue’s JaJuan Johnson and Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger. 

Taylor has been on a tear since the Badgers commenced conference play. He has eight 20-point games in Big Ten play and his 4.16-to-1.0 assist-to-turnover ratio is almost twice as good as the next closest player in that category. The junior averages 17.9 PPG, 4.9 APG, 4.3 RPG and shoots 41.7 percent on his threes and 84.5 percent from the line.

Leuer has six 20-point games in conference play and averages 19.1 PPG and 7.5 RPG. He shoots 48 percent from the floor, 40.5 from three and 86.3 percent on free throws.  The Badgers lead the nation in free-throw percentage. They make 82.8 percent from the line, an unbelievable number for a team.

The outcome could hinge on Northwestern ability to put points up. Northwestern’s 72.3 PPG ranks fourth in the conference. The Wildcats are 15-1 when they score 70 or more, and just 1-10 when they don’t reach 70 points. Wisconsin is the Big Ten’s stingiest team defensively. They give up just 57.4 PPG, while NU is last with 68 PPG allowed.

Leuer and five classmates will be playing their last game at the Kohl Center. Northwestern should make this a more competitive game than their outing with the Badgers in Evanston. Wisconsin is the better team though, and they should be able to complete a perfect season at home.

After getting blown out 65-41 at Penn State on February 13, Northwestern suffered its fifth loss in six games. That game seemed to wake the Wildcats up. NU has won its last two games against Iowa and Indiana.

The Nittany Lions have beaten Northwestern four straight times. The Wildcats last win against Penn State was in 2007.

The last time these two teams met was arguably Northwestern’s poorest performance of the season. Against the Big Ten’s worst defense, NU shot only 34.6 percent and connected on just 2-21 three-point attempts.

Freshman JerShon Cobb was the only Wildcat to finish in double figures.  Northwestern’s Big Three of Michael Thompson, John Shurna and Drew Crawford finished with only 21 points combined and shot just 9-27 from the floor.

The key to Northwestern’s success this season has been to get those three going.  They have combined for 96 points in NU’s last two games, as Northwestern has regained their stroke.

With three games left until the Big Ten Tournament, NU has a good opportunity to prove itself to the NCAA Tournament committee and improve its RPI. After Penn State, NU travels to Wisconsin and then hosts Minnesota before the Big Ten Tournament.

Penn State Point Guard Talor Battle is making s strong case for Big Ten Player of the Year.  He has a difficult task ahead of him with Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger and Purdue’s JuJuan Johnson trying to lead their teams to Big Ten titles.  At the very least he is a first-team All-Big Ten team.

Over his last five games, Battle is averaging 24 points per game. On the season, Battle is putting up 20.8 PPG.  He also contributes 4.4 RPG, 3.1 APG and shoots 36.9 percent on three-point attempts. The Wildcats will need to limit his effectiveness to avoid another embarrassing performance.

Jeff Brooks and David Jackson provide Battle with support. Brooks averages 13.3 PPG and 6.6 RPG and shoots 39.1 percent from three.  Jackson puts up 10.4 PPG and 4.6 RPG.

Northwestern will have to shoot the ball better to pull out an important victory. Despite its mid-season lull, the Wildcats still have a chance at a historic season.  Last season was the first 20 victory season in Northwestern history.  The Wildcats likely have at least three regular season games, one game in the Big Ten tournament, and a likely post-season tournament game. If they win four of those, they will get to 20 wins.

The key to beating Penn State will be to improve their shooting. The Nittany Lions are tenth in the conference in field goal percentage defense, and last in three-point percentage defense.  The Wildcats match-up well with the Nittany Lions.  Northwestern has struggled on defense as well as on the boards this season. Penn State is a poor shooting team and they rank ninth in the conference in rebounding margin.

The Wildcats need to get off to a good start and get the home crowd involved.  The 8pm CST game will be televised on ESPN. The crowd will be boisterous if the Wildcats spark early.  This should be an interesting contest.  Except for their blowout loss against Wisconsin, Northwestern has played much better at home this season. With their backs against the wall, the Wildcats should pull out a win.

After defeating Iowa 73-70 at home, Northwestern heads back to the road when they visit Indiana on Saturday. The Wildcats have lost seven of their last eight away from Welsh-Ryan Arena.  They are just 1-6 on the road in the Big Ten this season.

The Wildcats hung on to defeat Iowa on Thursday night. They led 22-9 in the first half and by as many as six in the second half.

NU didn't put the game away until the Hawkeyes turned the ball over on the final play. Four Wildcats finished in double figures as NU won for just the second time in its last seven games.

Northwestern’s problems on the boards and defensively continued against the Hawkeyes. Iowa shot 51.7 percent, made five of its 12 three-point attempts and outrebounded NU 34-27.

The Wildcats did seem to regain their shooting stroke. Northwestern shot 45 percent from the floor and 12-of-28 from three.

Northwestern used its formula for success to defeat Indiana in Evanston in January. They shot 49.1 percent, connected on 10-of-20 beyond the arc and held their own on the boards. IU had just a 30-29 rebounding edge.

Northwestern led 68-44 in the second half before an IU rally cut the margin to eight. Northwestern was able to hit their free throws and win 93-81.

The key for Indiana might be to slow the pace. Despite the stereotype that the Princeton offense is deliberate, this group of Wildcats likes to run.

Northwestern ranks third in the Big Ten in scoring at 73.2 PPG. They led the Big Ten in scoring during conference games in 2010.

When scoring 70-plus points this season, NU is 14-1. If they fall below that mark, the Wildcats are 1-9.

The Hoosiers' two best players, Verdell Jones III and Christian Watford, have both missed a handful of games with injuries. Watford returned in IU’s loss at Michigan last Sunday and led the Hoosiers with 14 points.

Indiana has good balance with Jones, Watford and Jordan Hulls averaging in double figures. Victor Oladipo contributes 8.0 PPG.

Maurice Creek, who averages 8.3 PPG, is out after suffering a stress fracture in his right patella at the end of the Hoosiers’ loss to the Wolverines.

Despite being tenth in the conference, IU has been tougher at home lately, winning three of their last four. Included were wins over Illinois and Minnesota, who were both ranked at the time IU played them.

The Hoosiers seem to be improving. With just one senior and two juniors on his roster, Tom Crean has a very young team. 

They showed fight in Ann Arbor. After falling behind 66-44, IU rallied with a 12-0 run late in the second half. They closed the game on a 25-7 run to make the final score a respectable 73-69.

The Hoosiers have a brutal stretch after facing NU. Their next three games are against No. 11 Purdue, No. 3 Ohio State and No. 10 Wisconsin.  

The game will air at 6 p.m. CST on the Big Ten Network, with Tom Hart and Greg Kelser calling the game. 

After two disappointing road losses at Michigan and Penn State, Northwestern returns home to host Iowa Thursday night. The Wildcats rallied before losing by nine at Michigan last Wednesday and then were demolished 65-41 at Penn State on Sunday. The loss in what was not-so Happy Valley was the Wildcats' sixth loss by double digits this season.

This is the teams' second meeting this season. Northwestern won 90-71 at Iowa on January 12th.

Northwestern has lost five of its last six and any shot they have at the school’s elusive first NCAA Tournament berth is fading quickly. At the Big Ten Tip-Off Luncheon last fall, NU Head Coach Bill Carmody’s main concerns were defense and rebounding.

Those concerns continue to plague the Wildcats. They have allowed at least 49 percent shooting against in their last six games. They are getting out rebounded by almost eight in Big Ten Games. They allow conference opponents to shoot 50 percent from the floor and 39.5 percent on three-point attempts. Their 68.2 PPG against ranks last in the Big Ten.

The Wildcats big three of Michael Thompson, John Shurna and Drew Crawford haven’t been able to keep up their high level in games against Big Ten Opponents. They average 44.2 PPG for the season, but just 37.0 PPG in conference games.

Shurna has struggled with injuries since the commencement of conference play. He injured his ankle against Mount St. Mary's in the Wildcats' last game before conference play began. He then suffered a concussion in NU’s loss at Minnesota on January 26. That has hampered Northwestern tremendously since that game. Shurna missed Northwestern’s near upset of then No. 1 Ohio State. He has scored just 19 points in the Wildcats last three games.

Northwestern’s three-point shooting has slipped lately. Penn State is 10th in the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense (only NU is worse) and last in three-point defense.  The Wildcats shot just 34.6 percent overall and made only two of 21 shots from three-point range.

They will have to shoot well to beat Iowa.  Defense has been a key to Iowa success this season. The Hawkeyes allow 53.1 PPG, and opponents have shot 35 percent from the floor and 24 percent on three-point attempts in the Hawkeyes victories this season.

Iowa travels to Evanston playing better than they did earlier in the season. They began the Big Ten season with six straight losses and eight of their first nine. After a two-game winning streak, the Hawkeyes have lost their two games to No. 14 Wisconsin and No. 25 Minnesota.

Iowa is 10-15, 3-10. They sit just one game behind NU in the conference standings. The Hawkeyes' own big three of Matt Gatens, Bryce Cartright and Melsahn Basabe aren’t as explosive as the triumvirate at Northwestern.

Basabe averages 10.5 PPG and his seven rebounds per game rank sixth in the conference. He is also fifth in the Big Ten in field goal percentage. Cartright ranks third in the Big Ten is assists and averages 11.0 PPG. Gatens leads the conference making over 90 percent of his free throw attempts. At 12.5 PPG, he is the Hawkeyes leading scorer.

In the first meeting, Northwestern used its formula for success to perfection. After trailing 4-0, they went on a 24-4 run. Their first seven baskets were from beyond the arc. Thompson, Shurna and Crawford combined for 52 points. The Wildcats finished the game, making 14-of-28 on three-point attempts. Gatens and Cartright combined for 45 of the Hawkeyes' 71 points in defeat.