Indiana Basketball: Northwestern Braces for Big Ten Tournament Clash Without Key Player
The Northwestern Wildcats will face a significant challenge when they take on the Indiana Hoosiers Wednesday evening in the Big Ten Tournament. Head coach Chris Collins confirmed that 6-foot-11 center Arrinten Page, a crucial component of Northwestern’s game, will be unavailable for the matchup. Page has missed the last two games, and his absence leaves a noticeable void in the Wildcats’ lineup.
Impact of Page’s Absence
Page is Northwestern’s second-leading scorer, averaging 10.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in just 22.9 minutes per game. His performance was particularly impactful during Northwestern’s recent upset victory in Bloomington last month. Against Indiana on February 24th, Page delivered a well-rounded performance with 10 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block in 27 minutes.
Interestingly, Page was a player Indiana previously recruited out of high school. He began his collegiate career at USC before transferring to Northwestern. As the only player in Northwestern’s regular rotation standing above 6-foot-9, his size and versatility are sorely missed.
Northwestern’s Adjustments
In the previous game against Indiana, Northwestern started 6-foot-9 freshman Tyler Kropp, who saw limited action with only six minutes played. However, Kropp demonstrated improvement in the recent game against Penn State, logging 21 minutes off the bench. Coach Collins also utilized 6-foot-6 Angelo Ciaravino, 6-foot-8 Tre Singleton, and 6-foot-7 Nick Martinelli in the frontcourt on Tuesday evening.
“This is who we got. Guys have to just by committee, we’ve got to figure things out,” Collins stated Tuesday evening, acknowledging the team’s shorthanded situation. “We’ve got to guard the paint. We’ve got to rebound. We’ve got to bring physicality. Can’t just be on those three guys, Nick, Tre, and Tyler. It’s got to be on the guards too. We’ve got to get in there, help rebound, bring physicality.”
Collins was particularly pleased with Kropp’s performance, stating, “I thought Tyler really stepped up. He really stepped up and gave us good minutes tonight. It was exciting for me to see as a young player in his first Big Ten Tournament to come in and give those positive minutes for us.”
Game Details
The No. 10 seed Indiana Hoosiers will face the No. 15 Northwestern Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. ET Wednesday on BTN. This game promises to be a hard-fought battle as Northwestern attempts to overcome the absence of a key player and secure a victory in the Big Ten Tournament. For more information on college basketball, check out NCAA Basketball.
