The Indiana Hoosiers are in desperate need of a win when they face the Northwestern Wildcats on Wednesday in the Big Ten Tournament. Barely hanging on to hopes of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, Darian DeVries' team needs to impress the committee as much as possible before Selection Sunday.
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Following Northwestern's 76-66 win over Penn State on Tuesday, Wildcat head coach Chris Collins shared an important update regarding the status of a key contributor for his team. According to Collins, junior forward Arrinten Page will miss his third straight game with an illness and will not suit up against the Hoosiers. That is a key loss for the Wildcats, and it impacts Indiana's game plan for this crucial contest.
Northwestern's Arrinten Page will still be out tomorrow against Indiana, coach Chris Collins said.
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From there, it's "day-to-day," he added.
Northwestern's depth takes a hit with absence of Arrinten Page
Page has been a steady contributor for the Wildcats all season long. Starting in 16 of Northwestern's 29 games, Page is averaging 10.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists on the year. His 10.2 points per game are second on the team, trailing only Nick Martinelli's 22.8 points per game.
In Indiana's matchup against Northwestern back on February 24, Page totaled 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists in Northwestern's 72-68 victory at Assembly Hall. Not having that kind of production available in Wednesday's matchup is a big loss for Northwestern.
Along with being a strong rim protector with a large 6'11" 245-pound frame, Page is also Northwestern's most efficient scorer with a team-leading shooting percentage of 54.6% on the season. He makes a big difference on both ends of the floor, and the Hoosiers need to take advantage of him being on the sidelines.
Freshman Tyler Kropp figures to see an increase in minutes with Page unavailable. Kropp is averaging just 3.0 points and 2.2 rebounds per game while seeing just 11.7 minutes of action per game.
With Page out, Indiana figures to shift the majority of its defensive attention to Martinelli, who scored 28 points against IU back on February 24. The senior forward scored 24 points in Tuesday's win over Penn State.
Tip-off between the Hoosiers and Wildcats is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday night at the United Center. The winner will advance to face No. 7 Purdue on Thursday.