The Northwestern men’s basketball team can finish the regular season at .500 in conference play and beat Indiana in Bloomington, Ind., on Saturday – two things the Wildcats haven’t done since the 1967-68 season.
In addition, the Cats (16-10, 7-8 Big Ten) will try to break a 24-game losing streak to Indiana when they take on the second-place Hoosiers (18-10, 10-5) at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
But getting over the hump against the Hoosiers isn’t the only feat NU can accomplish this weekend. The Cats can also play the role of spoiler.
An NU victory would hold Indiana to a 10-6 Big Ten record and prevent the Hoosiers from winning a share of the regular-season conference crown.
Wisconsin beat Michigan on Wednesday night to secure at least a share of the title and the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten tournament.
However, the Cats aren’t too concerned about the league standings right now.
“That’s the furthest thing from our minds,” NU head coach Bill Carmody said. “You just want to see if you can beat a team on their homecourt.
“It’s what it does for you, not what happens to them. We want to play well because we have not the last few games.”
After winning three straight contests, NU has dropped its last two – so a loss on Saturday would end the Cats’ conference season the same way it started.
NU started 0-3 in league play this season, with its first game coming against the Hoosiers.
Indiana forward Jared Jeffries, considered a frontrunner for Big Ten Player of the Year, scored 17 points and pulled down four boards in the Jan. 2 matchup.
The Cats may not have to deal with Jeffries on Saturday as much as they did in January, as the sophomore has been slowed by an injured ankle the past two games.
But Indiana is a dangerous squad even without Jeffries, Carmody said. The Hoosiers are fundamentally sound on both ends of the court.
Like Minnesota, Indiana uses its size on defense to create problems for the opposition. The Hoosiers have six players on their roster at 6-foot-8 or taller – capped by center George Leach, who stands 6-foot-11.
In the first meeting between the two teams, Carmody said the Hoosiers pestered NU all night with their long arms, causing the Cats to take difficult shots, always with hands in their faces.
“They don’t let you run your offense as smoothly as other teams do,” Carmody said. “That height advantage is meaningful. I just wish we were as tall as they are.”
On offense, Indiana presents a threat both inside and on the perimeter. Three Hoosiers – Jeffries, guard Dane Fife and forward Jarrad Odle – shoot in the 40 percent range from behind the arc. When Indiana heats up from the outside, it forces opponents to play tight defense on the perimeter.
But the Hoosiers can simply exploit the inside when teams play them close on the outside, Carmody said.
“You know what they’re going to do, but they do it so well,” he said. “You’re not sure which way to go. We have to be careful that they don’t stretch us out. They’re a talented team.”
Although NU may not be as talented as Indiana, the Cats are confident that they can keep up with the Hoosiers.
“We’ve won enough games,” Carmody said. “So we should be confident.”
NU also realizes it needs to break out of its current slump if it plans on making a run once the regular season is finished.
“We just can’t be complacent right now,” NU guard Jitim Young said. “We still have a lot of basketball that needs to be played. We want to be the team that we’re capable of playing like.”
