Illinois vs. Minnesota preview capsule

No. 10 Illinois (15-18) vs. No. 6 Minnesota (20-12)

3:05 p.m., Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis (CBS, Illini Sports Network)

ILLINOIS (15-18) ppg rpg

F Brian Randle Sr. 6-8 9.5 5.5

C Shaun Pruitt Sr. 6-10 12.4 7.2

G Demetri McCamey Fr. 6-3 7.8 2.8

G Trent Meacham Jr. 6-2 10.8 2.5

G Chester Frazier Jr. 6-2 5.0 5.1

MINNESOTA (20-12)

F Dan Coleman Sr. 6-9 12.3 6.1

F Damian Johnson So. 6-7 6.5 4.5

F Jonathan Williams Jr. 6-9 3.0 2.4

G Lawrence McKenzie Sr. 6-2 12.1 2.3

G Lawrence Westbrook So. 6-0 8.5 3.4

(Stats through March 13.)

Noteworthy: Illinois won three straight games for the first time since November. … The Illini have a 19-game winning streak against the Gophers, a stretch that began the first round of the conference tournament in 1998-99. The Illini defeated Minnesota 84-60 in Minneapolis in February and 67-58 last weekend to end the regular season. In the two games, Meacham was 9-for-10 from the 3-point line and averaged 20 points. … Illinois reached the conference tournament semifinals in every year but one since the event began in the 1997-98 season.

Key for Illini: Play with some confidence. They're on their best run of the season.

Key for Gophers: Somebody guard Meacham. In his two games against the Gophers, he was an all-Big Ten player.

Prediction: Illinois 69, Minnesota 65