Northwestern scouting report

Posted March 22, 2011 12:00 am

By Lindsey Willhite

Northwestern (20-13) at Washington State (21-12)

When: 10 p.m. at Beasley Center

TV: ESPN2

Stream: ESPN3.com

Radio: WIND 560-AM

The skinny: Less than 12 hours after second-seeded Washington State defeated Oklahoma State, the fourth-seeded Wildcats boarded a charter for Pullman, Wash. What’s at stake? Only a trip to Madison Square Garden to play in the NIT Final Four … and a chance to grab a school-record 21st win. Northwestern’s strength (3-point shooting) matches the Cougars’ stretch. They rank 38th nationally in 3-point defense at 31.7 percent. Wazoo likes to get up and down the floor, which won’t bother the Wildcats. Sharpshooter Klay Thompson ranks eighth nationally in scoring with 22.2 points per game. Look for Drew Crawford, who locked up Boston College’s Reggie Jackson on Saturday, to get first crack at Thompson.

Advancement: The winner gets the winner of Wednesday’s game between Wichita State (26-8) and College of Charleston (26-10) on Tuesday in New York.

— Lindsey Willhite

Article Comments

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.