Can Indiana do some things defensively to dictate the tempo?
– If the Wildcats had their way, neither team would work up much of a sweat. They’ll walk the ball up the court, they’ll send players back quickly on defense, and they’ll try to shorten the game by allowing the shot clock to wind down on just about every trip down the floor. They also rarely turn the ball over, evidenced by their Big Ten-best 11.8 turnovers/game. If Indiana has any hopes of getting this game out of the 50s and 60s and into the 70s, it needs to generate some easy opportunities with its defense. While the athleticism IU boasts in the backcourt gives it a chance to force some miscues, Northwestern is also a dangerous team to try to over-play and deny since they are always looking for back-cut opportunities. Indiana will have to pick its spots, but it clearly has the athletes to give Michael Thompson and Craig Moore fits. Will Jordan Crawford get himself back on track? – After being the team’s third-most reliable scoring threat in non-conference play, freshman Jordan Crawf
