By Teddy Greenstein
Northwestern has three clear motivations to beat Indiana in the first round of the Big Ten tournament: 1) the opportunity to face Purdue in the quarterfinals; 2) a 20-victory season; 3) to boost its chances of earning a berth in the NIT.
The strong feeling among those around the program is that the Wildcats will not get an NIT bid without beating the Hoosiers, who enter 10-20 but beat Northwestern on Saturday in Bloomington.
A key to watch for: Hoosers freshman guard Jordan Hulls. When these teams met in Evanston on Feb. 7, Hulls didn't make a single 3-pointer in 21 minutes.
In Bloomington, he made 8 treys in Indiana's 8-point overtime victory.
Northwestern has three clear motivations to beat Indiana in the first round of the Big Ten tournament: 1) the opportunity to face Purdue in the quarterfinals; 2) a 20-victory season; 3) to boost its chances of earning a berth in the NIT.
The strong feeling among those around the program is that the Wildcats will not get an NIT bid without beating the Hoosiers, who enter 10-20 but beat Northwestern on Saturday in Bloomington.
A key to watch for: Hoosers freshman guard Jordan Hulls. When these teams met in Evanston on Feb. 7, Hulls didn't make a single 3-pointer in 21 minutes.
In Bloomington, he made 8 treys in Indiana's 8-point overtime victory.
Register with Chicago Tribune and receive Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks newsletters for free. 
When sports news breaks, be the first to know. (To get alerts on a mobile device, text CHISPORTS to 31286.). 
Leave a comment