Meet the Opponent: Northwestern Shooting For Key Road Win Against Indiana on Sunday

The Indiana Hoosiers host the Northwestern Wildcats on Sunday in a key Big Ten matchup. Here's everything you need to know about the Wildcats ahead of this weekend's tilt.

Dustin Schutte | Feb 16, 2024

Meet the Opponent: Northwestern Shooting For Key Road Win Against Indiana on Sunday /

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The Northwestern Wildcats head to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday for an important Big Ten showdown. Northwestern is searching for a key road win to boost its resumé while Indiana is trying to put together a late-season push to salvage the year.

Both teams are entering Sunday's game coming off a loss. The Hoosiers suffered a 79-59 defeat at Mackey Arena last Saturday. The Wildcats dropped a 63-60 road contest to Rutgers on Thursday.

Northwestern brings a tough team into Bloomington, one that plays a physical brand of defense. Plus, Boo Buie is considered one of the top guards in the conference. It creates a really tough matchup for Indiana.

Here's a full breakdown of the Wildcats.

Key returners

(2023-24 stats)

G Boo Buie: 18.8 ppg, 5.4 apg, 3.5 rpg, 43.6 FG%
G Brooks Barnhizer: 14.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.0 spg, 44.9 FG%
G Ty Berry*: 11.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 44.9 FG%, 43.3 3-PT FG%
F Nick Martinelli: 7.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 54.5 FG%
C Matthew Nicholson: 5.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.4 bpg, 65.1 FG%

*Berry suffered injury vs. Nebraska and will miss remainder of 2023-24 season.

Key departures

(2022-23 stats)

G Chase Audige: 14.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.9 apg, 36.8 FG%
F Robbie Beran: 7.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 36.9 FG%

Key newcomers

(2023-24 stats)

G Ryan Langborg: 12 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.5 apg, 43.3 FG%

Schedule (17-8, 8-6 in Big Ten)

W, 72-61 vs. Binghamton
W, 71-66 vs. Dayton
W, 63-59 vs. Western Michigan
W, 72-61 vs. Rhode Island (Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off)
L, 66-57 vs. Mississippi State (Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off)
W, 89-67 vs. Northern Illinois
W, 92-88 (OT) vs. No. 1 Purdue
W, 91-59 vs. Detroit Mercy
L, 75-73 vs. Chicago State
W, 56-46 vs. DePaul
W, 65-46 vs. Arizona State (Hall of Fame Series)
W, 74-63 vs. Jackson State
L, 96-66 vs. No. 9 Illinois
W, 88-74 vs. Michigan State
W, 76-72 vs. Penn State
L, 71-63 vs. No. 15 Wisconsin
W, 72-69 vs. Maryland
L, 75-69 vs. Nebraska
W, 96-91 (OT) vs. No. 10 Illinois
W, 83-58 vs. Ohio State
L, 105-96 (OT) vs. No. 2 Purdue
L, 75-66 (OT) vs. Minnesota
W, 80-68 vs. Nebraska
W, 68-63 vs. Penn State
L, 63-60 vs. Rutgers

Mike Woodson's history against Northwestern

L, 64-62 at Northwestern on Feb. 15, 2023 at Welsh-Ryan Arena
L, 84-83 vs, Northwestern on Jan. 8, 2023 at Assembly Hall
L, 59-51 at Northwestern on Feb. 8, 2022 at Welsh-Ryan Arena

Northwestern Wildcats guard Brooks Barnhizer (13) drives the ball to the basket during the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Bryce Jordan Center. Northwestern defeated Penn State 76-72. — Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Northwestern coach: Chris Collins

Collins is in his 11th season as the leader at Northwestern and has done a fabulous job during his tenure. He led the program to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in the 2016-17 season.

It appeared that Collins was on the verge of losing his job in Evanston, posting five straight losing seasons with the Wildcats before finally bouncing back in 2022-23. Last year, Northwestern finished 23-12 and earned their second March Madness bid.

For the first time in school history, it looks like Northwestern is heading to the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons.

Overall, Collins owns a 173-169 record at Northwestern.

Strengths

Northwestern's success this season begins and ends with the play of Buie. The senior guard is averaging 18.8 points per game this season and is considered the best guard in the Big Ten. He's led the Wildcats to clutch wins over Purdue and Illinois this season. When he catches fire, he's nearly impossible to stop.

One of the biggest keys to Northwestern's success this season has come because of turnover margin. The Wildcats average just 9.1 turnovers per game this year, ranking eighth nationally in the category. They also share the ball well, dishing out 16.3 assists per game.

Collins' team also has the seventh-best 3-point percentage in the country this year. Northwestern is shooting at a 39.5% clip on the year, with Buie, Langborg, Berry and Barnhizer accounting for most of that success.

Weaknesses

Because Northwestern runs with a smaller lineup, it's not been very good on the glass this season. The Wildcats rank near the bottom of college basketball with a minus-2 rebounding margin. It ranks 298th out of 351 NCAA Division I teams.

Northwestern also doesn't have much of a post presence this season and takes a lot of jump shots. That has resulted in a really low free throw total this year, averaging just 16.8 attempts per game. The Wildcats also play an incredibly physical brand of defense — which can result in foul trouble, depending on the officiating crew.

The biggest concern for Northwestern? The injury to Berry. The senior guard will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a meniscus tear. He was the Wildcats' top 3-point threat and will leave a huge void for the team moving forward.

Season outlook

Northwestern has been a streaky team this season. At times, they've looked like one of the best in the Big Ten. In other moments, you wonder how they're challenging for one of the top-four seeds in the Big Ten Tournament.

Perhaps there was no better demonstration of that streakiness than in December. The Wildcats pulled off a massive upset, taking down No. 1 Purdue 92-88 in overtime at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Just a few games later, Northwestern dropped a 75-73 home contest to Chicago State — traditionally one of college basketball's worst programs.

The loss of Berry for the remainder of the season is a huge blow, but the bottom line is this: As long as Buie is on the court, Northwestern is going to have a chance in every game. Collins has another NCAA Tournament team in Evanston, one that can cause some chaos in March Madness.