CHAMPAIGN - With Illinois' Braggin' Rights showdown against Missouri looming Saturday, a game two days earlier could be overlooked.

Not so tonight when Illinois faces the Miami RedHawks.

Illinois should have vivid memories of last year's encounter, the one in which Miami built a 16-point lead but was unable to hang on as Illinois clawed back for a heart-pounding 51-49 victory in the Chicagoland Invitational in Hoffman Estates.

It was a reminder that Miami is a difficult team to play, a talented group that stays true to coach Charlie Coles' disciplined style, a team whose four losses this season have come by a combined total of nine points. And two of those losses have come on last-second shots.

Illini coach Bruce Weber knows Miami poses a difficult challenge. What he doesn't know is whether or not the RedHawks will have their leading scorer, Michael Bramos, in the lineup.

Bramos, who averages 19 points, suffered an ankle injury Saturday at Wright State and sat out Miami's victory over Chicago State on Tuesday. He is listed as questionable tonight.

Even without him, Miami has the talent and the patient system to give opponents fits, Weber said.

"They play a possession game," said Weber, noting that Miami has not allowed an opponent to score 70 points in 43 consecutive games. "If you compared it to football, this would be the old Ohio State, three yards and a cloud of dust, a team that keeps plodding along and getting first downs, making it difficult on you.

"They exploit your weaknesses. They will find someone they feel they can attack. They will get the ball to someone, space you out and make that person guard. They have intelligent players."

One of the most dangerous is Tim Pollitz, a 6-5 senior who scored 26 Tuesday with Bramos on the bench.

"He's that mid-major post guy everyone at the higher level said is too small to play. But he's also too hard to guard," Weber said. "Against a big guy, he can go out on the floor and use his ball skills. Against a smaller guy, he can post him up.

"And they have good spot-up shooters. It's a difficult system to play against if you're not ready for them."

Weber is hoping the Illini are ready, in part because they learned how difficult it can be in last season's close call.

"It was a tough game and our guys know that. I thought last year when we picked up our intensity and spread them out a little, they had a little trouble. That has to be one of our goals, to use our athleticism and depth."

Weber hopes to have guard Trent Meacham back on the floor after he missed Monday night's victory over Western Carolina with a sprained ankle.

"We kept him out of practice (Tuesday) but he told me at the end of practice he will play," Weber said.

Even with Meacham, tonight's game figures to be a considerable challenge for an Illini team that has struggled shooting from the floor and from the free-throw line. Illinois rallied to win last year's encounter in part because it made 13 of 16 free throws. So far this season, Illinois is hitting just 58 percent from the line.

"They make you earn everything you get," Weber said. "Nothing is easy.

"There's one thing you can't do: They pass the ball six, seven times and you can't pass it once and take a questionable shot. Now you have to guard them again for a long period of time. We forced them into three or four shot-clock violations last year. They make you play the whole possession."

Weber said he doesn't fear the distracting Christmas-time trap some teams encounter.

"When you get to these Christmas games, if they aren't big names or big rival games, sometimes you lose their attention. They are worried about getting home for Christmas. In our case, I don't think that will happen. Miami got our attention last year and Missouri is a game everyone looks forward to."

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