Scouting: American @ Northwestern

American (6-3) at Northwestern (6-0)

When: 7 p.m. at Welsh-Ryan Arena

TV: BTN

Radio: WGN 720-AM

The skinny: The Wildcats will face a lot of talented big men in the Big Ten, so today's game should be an excellent primer. Six-foot-9 senior Vlad Moldoveanu, who came to Chicago last year and whipped DePaul, averages 18.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. He tries at least five 3-pointers per game, too, so he's a tough matchup all over the place. American also plays more rigorous defense than most NU opponents, which will provide the Wildcats another valuable service as they ramp up for the Big Ten opener Dec. 31 at Purdue. NU junior John Shurna, who needs 16 points to reach 1,000 for his career, ranks fourth nationally in 3-point percentage (64.5) and 11th in scoring (23.0 ppg).