Scouting Notes: Northwestern

Indiana basketball is about to enter the toughest stretch of its season and it begins tonight with a road matchup against Northwestern.

Northwestern enters Wednesday’s matchup at 11-7 overall and 2-5 in Big Ten play. The Wildcats rank 93rd in offensive efficiency with a rating of 111.5. Defensively, they rank 24th overall with a 96.1 rating. Overall, the Wildcats rank 51st in KenPom’s ratings.

Here is a deep dive into some of the challenges Northwestern could give the Indiana basketball program.

Key Players

Northwestern goes as its duo goes; Brooks Barnhizer and Nick Martinelli — the do-it-all teammates who account for 54 percent of the Wildcats’ points per game. Nick Martinelli has taken a huge step forward for the Wildcats this season and bas become a true shot creator. He is playing as a true scoring wing who has found numerous ways to score off the dribble. He has fluid athleticism that he uses to his advantage around the block, but not to attack the basket necessarily, more for fadeaway or step back jumpers. He can shoot off of one foot and look quite unorthodox when he does, but it creates a major advantage when he’s looking to score. The lefty often times likes to take the ball from the perimeter and slowly maneuver his way through the defense very methodically. He isn’t a high volume shooter but he’s connecting on 41.3 percent from three. He’s hit a three in 13 games this year but seven of his 19 3s came in the first three games of the year. While he’ll have the ball in his hands a lot throughout the game, he is also a very good cutter off of the ball. Three of his last five games have resulted in double-digit free throw attempts. This will be a very tricky matchup for any of the Indiana basketball wings and forwards.

Brooks Barnhizer is the guy that has the ball in his hands the most, however. Barnhizer ranks fourth in the Big Ten in usage rate and it’s clear as he leads the country posting five 20+ point, 10+ rebound and 5+ assist games this year. Barnhizer is not a threat from deep, shooting just 27.8 percent on the year, making more than one three in just two games this year. At 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds, he’s extremely physical attacking the basket and can the create off of the dribble or get to the foul line, while also making plays for his teammates. He’s not overly athletic or gifted, but he’s extremely tough and very crafty, knowing how to use his body and use angles. He likes to bully smaller defenders both in the paint and backing them down even from 17 feet.

In the backcourt is Jalen Leach, a transfer from Fairfield. He’s a terrific third scoring option who can take some of the load off Barnhizer and Martinelli. Leach has great size and length and while he’s not someone with a super quick first step, he utilizes long strides to get by defenders and position himself to finish above his opponents. He’s very good from 15-feet and uses an effective two-dribble pull up to keep the defense guessing. Leach typically will be looking to score when he is attacking the basket, but he is averaging 4.0 assists a game over the six.

Ty Berry comes off the bench but is another explosive scoring guard who can light it up in a hurry. The positive, but also negative, is his streakiness — with eight games of 10+ points but also eight games of three points or less. Everything starts and ends with his ability to get going from three — with double-digit points in all but one game when he’s made more than one three. Berry is shooting 35.2 percent from three and has 67 percent of his made field goals on the season coming from the perimeter.

Matthew Nicholson is the staple in the middle for the Wildcats. The 7-footer has great size and frame but is mainly a defensive stopper and rebounder. His biggest asset to Northwestern is is offensive rebound ability, ranking sixth in the Big Ten in offensive rebound rate and 11th in total offensive rebounds. Nicholson is going to be used as a screener and get the majority of his points from those offensive rebounds. He has just two games this year with more than four shot attempts.

Angelo Ciarvino has started the last two games for the Wildcats but isn’t much of an offensive threat. He has terrific size at 6-foot-6, but he’s not an overall aggressive scorer or shooter at this point in his career. He has made eight 3s this year, six of which coming in a three-game stretch at the beginning of January. His best game was a 19-point outing against Purdue earlier this month. In his two starts, he’s scored three combined points.

Key Tendencies

Unlike some of the most recent opponents for Indiana basketball, Northwestern is not a team that likes to get out in the open floor, ranking 299th in adjusted tempo and 241st in average possession length. Averaging just 73 points a game, it’s a slow, grind-it-out matchup that will result in limited possessions. It makes it harder on opponents, too, when Northwestern is averaging just 10.2 turnovers a game — the best in the Big Ten. Most of its turnovers are on non-steals, limiting a lot of transition opportunities for opponents. Most of Northwestern’s offense is coming from inside the three-point line, with 55 percent of its points coming from 2s. The Wildcats are shooting just 27.7 percent from three in Big Ten play.

Defensively, Northwestern is a very physical group that has length and toughness on the wing. But, there isn’t an overly abundant amount of athleticism or quickness. That forces the Wildcats to overhelp on dribble-drives and allows for open opportunities, whether it’s from the perimeter or on dump off or pocket passes in the mid range or at the rim. Teams are averaging an assist on 63 percent of their field goals against Northwestern, one of the highest rates in the country. Northwestern’s perimeter play does have very good and quick hands and makes up for some of the lack of foot quickness. Teams are turning the ball over 15 times a game, with Northwestern ranking in the top-60 in turnovers forced, steal percent and non-steal turnover rate.

Overall, this is again a game in which Indiana basketball needs to be able to find some way to take advantage of its quickness and athleticism. Whether that is finding ways in transition or continuing its trend of offensive rebounds — easy buckets will be extremely important to take full advantage of against a team that doesn’t necessarily give up a lot of easy looks.

Projected Starters

G –Angelo Ciarvino (Freshman; 6-6, 195)

Stats: 4.2 ppg, 1.7 rpg 

G – Jalen Leach (Senior; 6-4, 190)

Stats: 11.9 ppg, 43% 3pt

G – Brooks Barnhizer (Senior; 6-6, 215)

Stats: 18.4 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 4.1 apg, 2.2 spg

F – Nick Martinelli (Junior; 6-7, 205)

Stats: 20.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 41.3% 3pt

F – Matthew Nicholson (Senior; 7-0, 255)

Stats: 6.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg

Key Notes

SEE ALSO: ‘You can’t go in there with a soft attitude and soft mind’: Indiana basketball seeks consistency through toughness amid opportunistic stretch

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