Column: Hoosiers simply better than Wildcats

Now comes the interesting part.

When IU upset No. 3 Wisconsin on Tuesday night, they played like world-beaters.

The Hoosiers broke a 12-game losing streak to the Badgers, and Assembly Hall was at its finest, coming alive as a definite sixth man.

So we’ve seen the good side of IU. But this team has been inconsistent this year. Can IU sustain the same intensity it exhibited Tuesday night for the entirety of the season?

The first test comes when IU (12-5, 2-2 conference) will play Northwestern (8-10, 1-4 conference) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Assembly Hall.

This game’s simple explanation: IU is better than Northwestern.

IU has more talent. The Wildcats have struggled this season, losing to DePaul and Illinois State and beating IU-Purdue University Indianapolis by only two points — all at home.

In five Big Ten games, Northwestern’s woeful offense is averaging 51.2 points per game. This is by far the worst in the conference (No. 11 Nebraska averages 61 points per game).

The Wildcats have no player who shoots more than 37 percent from behind the arc. As a team, they are shooting a downright abysmal 24 percent in three-pointers in conference games.

The Wildcats have been outscored by an average of 17 points a game in the Big Ten — the worst figure in the conference.

Overall, college basketball statistical analysis website kenpom.com ranks the Wildcats as the 313th-best offense in college basketball (out of 351 teams).

I don’t see IU losing this game even if they tried.

The Hoosiers like to push the ball. If the game becomes a track meet like IU wants, it won’t be close. Northwestern doesn’t have the horses to hang with the Bloomington boys.

Northwestern plays at a slow pace. They are the 329th slowest team in America.

Even if Northwestern is able to slow the game, it won’t matter. IU isn’t the greatest half-court team, but their defense should be able to shut down the Wildcats’ offense with ease.

If IU gets to 60 points, it’s pretty much over.

But even though the Hoosiers have every statistical advantage on Northwestern, it will always a question whether the Hooisers can respond with the same intensity they exhibited in the Wisconsin victory.

Yes, the Hoosiers have more talent than Northwestern.

But Northwestern, playing only one freshman in their primary lineup, might come out and jump on the sleepy Hoosiers to get an early lead.

If IU forces too many jumpers and forgets that it is unstoppable when it gets to the basket, the Hoosiers could be in trouble.

I see IU notching the victory to push them past the .500 mark in the conference. Northwestern simply isn’t good enough.

Prediction: IU 68, NW 55

Evan Hoopfer is 5-3 in predictions this year.

­— ehoopfer@indiana.edu