Illinois @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 4, 2017 ) Minnesota 68, Illinois 59

Minnesota looks to extend its winning streak when it resumes Big Ten play at home against Illinois on Wednesday. The Gophers have won four consecutive games, including a 65-55 victory against Harvard on Saturday, to improve to 9-1 in Minneapolis, and they hope to continue their winning ways by beating the Fighting Illini in back-to-back meetings for the first time since 2012-13.

"We were doing some good things and I thought they played pretty hard," Minnesota coach Richard Pitino told reporters. "We had a tough nonconference schedule but it was good for us and revealed a lot." Illinois came out flat after its emotional 70-64 victory against Missouri in the Braggin' Rights rivalry but squeaked out a 62-58 win over Grand Canyon on Saturday. The Fighting Illini haven't won three straight games since late November and hope to earn their first Big Ten victory of the season after dropping a pair of overtime games to start conference play in early December. "Not all games are going to be pretty they're just not," Illinois coach Brad Underwood told reporters. "There are some games that you're just really happy to find a way to win and this was one."

TV: 9 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network

ABOUT ILLINOIS (10-5, 0-2 Big Ten): Leron Black scored 20 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in the win against Grand Canyon to register his first double-double of the season and the fifth of his career. Trent Frazier added 14 points to finish in double figures for the fifth straight game and Mark Alstork led the team with eight rebounds. Michael Finke tallied nine points and Da'Monte Williams finished 1-of-4 from the field but his lone field goal was a clutch 3-pointer which put Illinois ahead by four with 17 seconds left in the game.

ABOUT MINNESOTA (12-3, 1-1): Dupree McBrayer led the way with 15 points to go along with four rebounds in the win against Harvard after missing the previous two games with a lower-leg injury. Jordan Murphy added 13 points and 12 rebounds against the Crimson to record his Division I-leading 15th double-double of the season while Amir Coffey contributed 12 points and five assists against the Crimson. Nate Mason, who is averaging 15.5 points and 4.1 assists this season, sat out the win against Harvard with a sprained ankle, and will be a game-time decision on Wednesday.

TIP-INS

1. Illinois has won three of the last four meetings with Minnesota.

2. Murphy has posted 36 career double-doubles.

3. Black is averaging 19 points and 8.7 rebounds over his last three games.

PREDICTION: Minnesota 78, Illinois 72