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Indiana at Northwestern: can IU take another Big Ten road game?

By John M. IU

Northwestern Wildcats
Current record: 15-7 (4-6)
Current RPI: 61
Current Sagarin: 63
Current Pomeroy: 68
2008-09 record: 17-14 (8-10), lost to Tulsa in the first round of the NIT
2008-09 RPI: 78
2008-09 Sagarin: 59
2008-09 Pomeroy: 70
Series: IU leads 107-45
Last Northwestern win: 2/25/2009 (75-53 in Bloomington)
Last IU win: 2/23/2008 (85-82 in Evanston)
Last IU win in Evanston: see above
Pomeroy scouting report
TV: 2:30 p.m., BTN

Few of IU's 2008-09 losses were as humiliating as IU's 22-point home loss to Northwestern at Assembly Hall.  Northwestern never had won at Assembly Hall, and the Wildcats' last win in Bloomington had been at what is now the Gladstein Fieldhouse in 1968.  If Northwestern wins today, at Evanston, it will be the Wildcats' third in a row against IU, which will be NU's longest winning streak against the Hoosiers since NU won 5 in a row from 1930-1933.  Of course, the difference isn't just IU's performance: Northwestern flirted with the bubble last year for the first time since the term has existed, and has a shot this year. 

Unforuntately, I don't have time for a full-fledged preview today.  As typical, NU takes great care of the ball, shoots nearly 37 percent from behind the arc, and shoots well from the line.  NU doesn't rebound particularly well, particularly at the offensive end.  The Wildcats' perimeter defense is good but their interior defense isn't great.  Here are their stats.  NU is holding things together despite the loss of Kevin Coble.

FG 3PT FT Rebounds Misc
G M M A Pct M A Pct M A Pct Off Def Tot Ast TO Stl Blk PF PPG
John Shurna 22 35.8 6.2 13.6 45.7 2.1 6.0 35.1 3.3 4.1 80.0 2.0 4.8 6.7 2.4 1.9 0.7 0.8 2.1 17.8
Michael Thompson 22 37.7 4.0 9.8 40.7 2.3 5.7 40.5 2.8 3.5 79.2 0.4 1.5 1.9 4.1 1.6 1.1 0.0 2.5 13.1
Drew Crawford 22 27.5 3.9 8.1 47.8 1.8 4.5 39.4 1.9 2.9 65.6 1.6 2.6 4.2 1.8 1.5 0.5 0.8 2.7 11.4
Jeremy Nash 22 33.9 2.6 7.0 37.3 1.2 3.7 32.9 2.5 3.0 80.6 0.8 3.0 3.7 2.9 1.4 1.6 0.5 2.8 8.9
Luke Mirkovic 22 25.2 2.8 6.2 45.3 0.3 0.9 30.0 1.5 2.7 57.6 1.8 4.3 6.1 2.6 1.4 0.7 0.9 1.8 7.5
Alex Marcotullio 22 14.8 1.5 4.2 37.0 1.3 3.5 35.9 0.6 0.9 73.7 0.2 1.2 1.4 1.0 0.7 1.0 0.0 1.6 5.0
Kyle Rowley 22 10.0 0.7 1.7 40.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.8 1.4 54.8 0.7 1.6 2.4 0.4 1.0 0.0 0.2 1.8 2.1
Mike Capocci 15 5.9 0.6 1.0 60.0 0.1 0.2 33.3 0.2 0.3 60.0 0.1 1.1 1.2 0.6 0.6 0.3 0.0 1.1 1.5
Ivan Peljusic 16 7.2 0.4 1.4 26.1 0.2 0.7 27.3 0.1 0.3 40.0 0.4 1.2 1.6 0.6 0.7 0.3 0.4 0.7 1.1
Davide Curletti 12 7.3 0.3 0.5 66.7 0.1 0.2 50.0 0.3 0.3 75.0 0.3 0.6 0.8 0.8 0.5 0.1 0.1 1.7 1.0
Nick Fruendt 13 2.9 0.2 0.4 60.0 0.1 0.2 50.0 0.3 0.3 100.0 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.8
Reggie Hearn 8 2.0 0.3 0.4 66.7 0.1 0.1 100.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.6
Jeff Ryan 1 14.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 2.0 2.0 0.0 1.0 0.0
Austin Nichols 2 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0


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