With four games remaining in the season, Northwestern (11-16, 3-13 B1G) travels to Bloomington, Ind., on Tuesday for a critical Big Ten battle against Indiana (17-10, 8-8 B1G). The Wildcats' NCAA Tournament hopes vanished long ago after suffering two five-game losing streaks in conference play. Now, the mission for this fractured team is simple: win as many games as it can.

The 'Cats need to build on their strong performance against Maryland, where multiple players stepped up alongside Nick Martinelli. The Big Ten's leading scorer at 22.3 points per game can't carry the load alone — he needs consistent help.

Last week, Jordan Clayton was exemplified as one of the standouts from the supporting cast, who delivered his best game of the season against the Terrapins with a career-high 20 points while draining six of seven three-pointers. Angelo Ciaravino also contributed 16 points, showing he can be a secondary scoring option. Freshman Jake West continues to impress in his 11th consecutive start, averaging 6.4 points and 4.5 assists over his last 12 games.

However, concerns linger about Northwestern's veteran presence. Jayden Reid and Arrinten Page struggled off the bench against Maryland, seemingly validating coach Chris Collins' decision to bench them after starting regularly in the first half of the season. Meanwhile, Max Green has received four straight DNPs despite Collins confirming he's healthy, which is another confusing situation that remains unsolved.

From the win over Maryland, Northwestern showed signs of finding its defensive identity. The 'Cats forced 15 turnovers against the Terrapins, showcasing the discipline that has defined them all season. Meanwhile, the team remains one of the conference's least turnover-prone teams while ranking second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.01). Expect the 'Cats to pressure Indiana into mistakes.

However, shooting woes still exist. Though Northwestern shot an uncharacteristic 57% from deep against Maryland, they average just 32.2% from three-point range, ranking 13th in the conference, despite Collins insisting his team can shoot. Free-throw shooting also remains problematic. These inefficiencies could prove decisive in a tight road game — or major qualities to justify that Northwestern is a great team.

Despite Northwestern winning the last five matchups between these programs, Indiana presents a formidable offensive challenge.

Fifth-year senior Lamar Wilkerson, the Big Ten's second-leading scorer at 21.1 points per game, looms as Northwestern's primary concern. The 'Cats have struggled to contain opponents' top scorers, including Iowa's Bennett Stirtz and Maryland's Andre Mills, dropping 36 and 39 points apiece. Now they face Wilkerson, who recently posted an astonishing 41 points against Oregon on February 9.

Indiana's perimeter shooting also amplifies the threat. Wilkerson drains 3.3 three-pointers per game (second in the conference), while Tucker DeVries adds 2.7 per game (fourth). The Hoosiers make 10.1 threes per game, fourth-most in the Big Ten. They're also elite from the free-throw line, shooting 78.3% (second in conference, 11th nationally).

Northwestern must stay disciplined defensively while contesting Indiana's shooters. One lapse could unravel everything the 'Cats are building toward.