Northwestern Wildcats vs Indiana Hoosiers Picks and Predictions January 22nd 2025

Indiana Seeks to Snap Losing Streak Against Northwestern

The Indiana Hoosiers are looking to secure their first win over Northwestern since 2021 when they travel to Evanston on Wednesday night. With Big Ten tournament positioning on the line, both teams will be eager for a crucial victory.

Hoosiers Hoping to Build Momentum

The Hoosiers (14-5, 5-3 Big Ten) are coming off a gritty 77-76 overtime win at Ohio State, bouncing back after suffering consecutive 25-point losses to Iowa and Illinois.

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Head coach Mike Woodson knows his team has shown flashes of strong play, but consistency remains a challenge.

“We’ve played some pretty good basketball and had some good stretches,” Woodson said. “You just have to stay away from games like that.”

Key Players for Indiana

• Luke Goode (Career-high 23 points vs. Ohio State) – Provided a huge scoring boost.
• Kanaan Carlyle (13 points in career-high 36 minutes vs. Ohio State) – Stepped up off the bench after limited playing time in previous games.

Woodson praised Carlyle’s emergence, hoping his confidence carries forward.

“I just hope he bottles it up and carries it forward,” Woodson said.

With Indiana still in contention for a top-four Big Ten seed, every game becomes crucial in securing a first-round tournament bye.

Northwestern Struggling to Find Answers

The Wildcats (11-7, 2-5 Big Ten) have lost four of their last five games, including back-to-back overtime defeats. They fell 80-76 at No. 20 Michigan on Sunday, despite strong performances from their key players.

Key Players for Northwestern

• Brooks Barnhizer (21 points vs. Michigan) – Primary scoring option, but facing constant defensive pressure.
• Nick Martinelli (20 points vs. Michigan) – Reliable contributor, but needs more offensive help.
• Jalen Leach (19 points before ejection vs. Michigan) – Played well before receiving a flagrant 2 foul.

Head coach Chris Collins acknowledged that his top two scorers—Barnhizer and Martinelli—are carrying too much of the offensive load.

“There’s a lot of pressure on Brooks and Nick,” Collins said. “We’ve got to find some production from our bigs. We’ve got to find some production from our freshmen.”

One bright spot has been Ty Berry, who has scored double figures in consecutive games after a slow start to Big Ten play.

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Wildcats’ Recent Struggles

• Lost 4 of last 5 games
• Back-to-back overtime defeats
• Searching for consistency beyond Barnhizer and Martinelli

Despite their recent struggles, Northwestern has dominated this matchup in recent years, winning four straight games against Indiana.

Can Indiana End Its Losing Streak Against Northwestern?

Indiana has a golden opportunity to break its losing skid against the Wildcats, but Northwestern won’t go down easily at home.

• Can Indiana maintain its momentum from the Ohio State win?
• Will Northwestern finally get more scoring support for Barnhizer and Martinelli?
• Can Kanaan Carlyle build on his breakout performance?

With both teams needing a win, expect a hard-fought battle in Evanston as Indiana looks to snap its losing streak against Northwestern.