Indiana Basketball Game Preview: Northwestern – key storylines, injury report, how to watch

Indiana basketball continues its 124th season of competition with a Sunday afternoon clash against the Northwestern Wildcats at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers are coming off a 8-day break with their last time on the floor resulting in a blowout loss to in-state rival Purdue.

Northwestern, led by 11th-year head coach Chris Collins, comes in with an overall record of 17-8 and a mark of 8-6 in conference play.

Fifth-year senior guard Boo Bouie leads the Cats in scoring (19.2 points per game), assists (5.2), and made 3-pointers (60). Junior guard Brooks Barnhizer averages 14.3 points and a team-best 7.0 rebounds per game.

Fifth-year senior guard Ryan Langborg (11.6 points per game) has made 51 3-pointers on 39.8% shooting. As a team, Northwestern shoots 39.4% from deep on 21.4 attempts per game.

Tip is scheduled for 3:00 PM ET on FS1.

Below is the full preview of Indiana basketball vs Northwestern.

Key Storylines

Mike Woodson has never beaten Northwestern as coach, will he finally get it done?

Indiana basketball head coach Mike Woodson has beaten every Big Ten during his tenure as the leader of the Hoosiers…expect one…the Northwestern Wildcats.

It seems like in the three games between Mike Woodson’s Indiana team and Northwestern, there has always been a cloud of something going on. The first time there was the mass suspension of Indiana players, the second the Hoosiers were shokcingly upset at home, and the third was Miller Kopp’s return to Welsh Ryan Arena. Either way, Mike Woodson is 0-3 vs the Wildcats.

As most are aware now, Northwestern is not the Northwestern of old. They are a tough, talented, and veteran team that plays extremely well under 11-year head coach Chris Collins. They have become one of the top teams in the big Ten the last few seasons.

This would be a game that Indiana would need to win if they want to build any sort of momentum heading into the Big Ten Tournament this year. The Hoosiers have the home-court advantage, but we have seen Indiana be vulnerable in Bloomington many times this season.

Will Mike Woodson finally check off a win over Northwestern? We will find out tonight.

Have to keep growing the confidence of CJ Gunn

There weren’t too many highlights from Indiana basketball from the beatdown by Purdue last weekend. One positive that you could pull from the Hoosiers is the play of CJ Gunn in the minutes he got.

In that game, Gunn logged 20 minuets on the floor where he produced 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting which included going 3-of-4 from three. While a lot of his production came when the game was mostly out of reach for the Hoosiers, it was great sign to see Gunn provide a spark a do it with confidence.

Mike Woodson has been open about trying to get more confidence out of the sophomore shooting guard when he is on the floor. While his time on the floor has been inconsistent at times in his two years at Bloomington, Gunn has shown a ton of potential and when he is playing with the confidence that he showed at Purdue, he can be a playmaker for the Hoosiers.

“I mean, in practice they work,” said Mike Woodson last week. “I just got find some confidence somewhere in one of them (CJ Gunn and Kaleb Banks), if not both, because it’s tough.”

“I just got to keep working and trying to get them where I need them to be, man. We still got a lot of basketball left, and my thing is when I put them in there, maybe I’m putting too much pressure, they’re feeling too much pressure to have to perform. I don’t want them to feel that way, so I just got to — that part of it I got to figure out.”

7 games to go, have to finish the season strong

This has been a long season and not very many positive have come out of the year up to this point. The Hoosiers enter into the final seven games without a signature win, ugly losses, and really not path to make the NCAA Tournament as an at-large bid.

Most fans are looking ahead to the offseason at this point and what Mike Woodson is going to do in the portal to improve this Indiana team. While that is ok to think about, it is important that Indiana has momentum heading into the offseason.

This team needs to finish strong and bring back some positivity back to the fanbase.

Around this time of the year, anything can happen. Hoosiers still technically have seven games to work with and turn their season around and get back into the bubble conversation. Have t compete the rest of the season to show that there is some fight in this team.

Related: Time is running out on Indiana basketball for the ‘youthfulness’ and ‘newness’ of the roster to blend together

Series History

Indiana holds an advantage of 120-55 in a series with Northwestern that spans over 100 years of games dating back to the 1907-08 campaign.

The 120 wins mark the most for the Hoosiers against any one opponent. IU also owns 100-plus wins over Ohio State (112), Michigan (111), Minnesota (108), and Iowa (107).

In two games against the Wildcats last season, All-American forward Trayce Jackson-Davis averaged 20.5 points, 17.0 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 3.0 blocks. The two games were decided by a total of three points.

Look: Indiana basketball to wear ‘Fear of God’ alternate uniforms on Sunday

Injury Updates

Xavier Johnson: At the 2:12 mark late in the second half of the Iowa game, Xavier Johnson drove to the basket but was fouled hard going for the dunk. He landed awkwardly on his left arm and was screaming on the floor in excruciating pain. Johnson missed the last three games and has been seen in a heavy brace. Mike Woodson further confirmed that Xavier Johnson ‘out indefinitely’ with elbow injury.

Jakai Newton: Newton had a lower body surgical procedure done this past offseason to help fix a previous injury he sustained during high school. He is still recovering and is not expected to play for the rest of the season.

More: Trayce Jackson-Davis headlines numerous former Indiana basketball players back in Bloomington

Quick Hitters

Who?: Indiana (14-10) (6-7 Big Ten) vs Northwestern (17-8) (8-6 Big Ten)

When?: Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024 • 3 p.m. ET

Where?: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222) • Bloomington, Ind.

TV: FS1 (Brandon Gaudin, LaPhonso Ellis)

Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)

Betting Lines: Indiana basketball is listed as a 2-point favorite via DraftKings Sportsbook.

See Also: ‘We’re gonna have to add some pieces’: Indiana basketball facing critical few months ahead as it’s clear how far it is from where it needs to be

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