Moderator: Good morning everyone. It’s 10:30 here at the Rose Garden and the press room is starting to fill up. Probably two dozen scribes in here, reading everyone else's stuff on the Internet. Hopefully they're reading IlliniHQ. We loaded up on NCAA coverage today.

Please stop me if I ramble on about Portland. Can’t say enough great things about this city. It’s an ideal NCAA tournament site, with a hoppin' downtown, free public transportation, sightseeing day trips in every direction and breweries on every other corner. And it’s beautiful. Suppose I’m partial, having grown up in Denver and having attended school in the Northwest. But if you get the chance, check it out some time.

Chat on, thanks for coming by.

Klee

Jerry, San Antonio, Texas: You hear the description, "They can make a run in the NCAA." But, usually, "run" is never quantified..the S16, E8, the FF? In your opinion, what would constitute a "run" for the ILLINI? To me it is play the second weekend/S16. Thanks

Moderator: Jerry- In the case of these Illini, I think a run would be defined by advancing to the Sweet 16. I remember watching the Illini's practice - think it was in October - when Bruce Weber put that goal in front of the team. I think it opened their eyes that the head coach believed they were better than people were saying.

Jerry, from 2011-16 your state will host three Final Fours. The next eight Final Fours go in this order: Detroit, Indy, Houston, New Orleans, Atlanta, Arlington (Texas), Indy and Houston.

Klee

Ryan, Champaign, IL: I know you've probably heard this enough this week, but what is the status of Mr. Frazier?

Moderator: Ryan- He's out for this weekend, at least, according to Bruce Weber yesterday. The coach is still holding out hope that Chester could return for the second weekend. I would never doubt Chester's toughness or his will - he's my favorite athlete I've covered - but he has a broken hand.

Here's what Chester's older brother told me about the injury the other night. It was on HQ.

"He said it happened in practice. He said he went up for a rebound and hit somebody's knee. He said he heard a 'crunch,'" James Frazier said by phone Monday. "Our mom asked him if it hurts. He said, 'Mom, it's a broken hand. What do you think?'"

Klee

Jeff, Darien, IL: Hi Paul,

Since we play the late game tonight, how is the team (players and staff) spending all of their free time today? Do they watch other tourney games or avoid them and treat it like any other game? Thanks for your time.

Moderator: Jeff- There really isn’t much free time. The Illini are holding their shootaround this morning at the University of Portland. It’s more of a walk-through, not really a practice, and it’s scheduled to go about 90 minutes. The team meal is this afternoon. Then the players and coaches will try to sleep, but they won’t be able to sleep, because it’s the NCAA tournament, and they’ll hop a bus to the Rose Garden about 2 hours before tipoff.

Yesterday some of the coaches went to a Niketown where employees and coaches get super deals on Nike merchandise. One of the staffers called it "heaven," and another one joked that he got his Christmas shopping done.

Klee

Kyle Hayden, Tolono, IL: Do you think that the Illini will be able to perform as well vs. Western Kentucky since Chester Frazier is out?

Moderator: Kyle- No, Illinois is better with Chester Frazier.

Yesterday I asked Purdue assistant Paul Lusk, who scouted Illinois for the Boilermakers, how the Illini were different without the senior guard. Remember, Purdue was the last team to face Illinois sans Frazier.

"There was no doubt it helped us," Lusk said. "He's like Robbie Hummel to our team. Both guys are guys that don't score a lot of points. But they do so much for their team. They facilitate the offense, they get guys open. Then, obviously, Chester's such a great defender that there's no doubt it was an advantage for us."

UI assistant Wayne McClain has the Western Kentucky scout. (Read his breakdown on IlliniHQ.)

"I told Chester, 'You'd be so perfect for (A.J.) Slaughter,'" McClain said, referring to the Hilltoppers' leading scorer.

Hope that helps.

Klee

Bruce, Champaign, IL: Paul-

What are the possible tip-off times for Saturday once we win this evening? Have those times been disclosed or is it still up in the air?

Moderator: Bruce- If Illinois wins today, it will play Akron or Gonzaga at 4:40 or 7:10 p.m. Saturday (CST).

Klee

Brett, Chicago, IL: Paul- Better mascot, Big Red from WKU or the Chief?

Moderator: Brett- I'll take the St. Joe's Hawk. He just flaps and flaps and flaps.

Klee

James, Bloomington, IL: I read in another article on HQ about DJ and he stated he should have no problems qualifying. When exactly does a player get submitted and it becomes official that they are qualified? Any concerns with DJ? Thought he was good to go since his ACT test.

Moderator: James- D.J. Richardson told me yesterday he has no concerns about qualifying. He was proud of his academics work at Findlay, saying he earned an "A" and three "B's" in the most recent grading period.

His Findlay Prep squad (30-0) has been off since the end of February. Richardson said his next game will be April 3 in a national tournament in Washington, D.C. He's put on 15 pounds since arriving at Findlay and said he's up to 6-foot-4, 185.

And Richardson has kept tabs on his future teammates. He watched the Youtube videos of Jereme Richmond (the technical foul that wasn't, and the buzzerbeater to beat Warren), and he text messages with Brandon Paul often.

And he thinks Illinois can be a Sweet 16 team.

Klee

Barack Obama, Washington, D.C.: Bruce Weber was robbed. Should have been Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Moderator: Mr. President- The Illini noticed you had them bowing out in the second round.

"He picked us to win the first-round game but picked us to lose the second (to Gonzaga). So I'm kind of mad about that," Mike Davis said yesterday, obviously joking. "He's one of the few people who picked us to win, so we're motivated by that. Hopefully we can come out with a victory."

Klee

Jimmy, Normal, IL: Whats your prediction for tonight?

Moderator: Jimmy- It's on HQ. Take a peek.

Klee

Tom Jones, Las Vegas, Nevada: Paul,

Do you have any more updates on whether or not Chester's going to go tomorrow?

Moderator: Tom- Chester Frazier has been ruled out for this weekend. He was on the floor for the team's open practice yesterday, dribbling with his left hand.

His role this weekend, however, is no less important. One of the reasons he called a players-only meeting Saturday night is because he wanted the younger guys to know the NCAA tournament is no guarantee, and they should take advantage of it.

"It goes by really fast," Frazier said of a four-year career.

Klee

Nathan, Spokane, WA: Hey Paul,

Living in Spokane and coming from Illinois, I am really struggling with the potential second round matchup... UI & the Zags. Without Frazier, I really don't like it. Furthermore, I don't like that Obama picked the Zags over the Illini in his bracket (ESPN). What are your thoughts on this matchup? Will I be sucking up to all the Zag fans here in Spokane?

Moderator: Nathan- No worries. Gonzaga fans like the Illini. I remember Zags great Dan Dickau telling me Frank Williams was one of his favorite players to watch.

The Gonzaga and Illinois staffs appreciate each other. I think a lot of that comes from the fact Mark Few raises millions of dollars for Coaches vs. Cancer – and Jeremy Pargo is a spokesman for the cause – and Bruce Weber has done wonders for the Coaches vs. Cancer program at Illinois. The Illinois coach lost a former high school teammate to brain cancer about 18 months ago, and it's a cause that's close to his heart.

What’s interesting to me is this: when Gonzaga loses, a lot of Illinois fans seem to enjoy it. When Illinois loses, Zags fans' don't really notice. Kind of shows what the Gonzaga program has become.

Chicagoan Jeremy Pargo was hysterical yesterday in the Gonzaga locker room. (And the Chicago Tribune's Terry Bannon, who's sitting right here, is working on a story on Pargo.)

"The only time I follow their box scores is when they played Gonzaga a few years ago. It was a pretty brutal beating!" Pargo said with a huge laugh.

Pargo listed Deron Williams, Dee Brown and Aaron Spears, among the former former Illini he's played with and knows..

"Me and Roger Powell played quite a bit of one-on-one this summer," Pargo said. "And Luther Head. Luther's always Luther. He's from Chicago, so I've known him for a while. Luther used to call me lazy back in high school. It was his thing, I don't know why. Luther's always been a good guy."

Klee

Dave, Rochester, IL: Paul,

Since W KY only has one big guy, this seems like the perfect opportunity to use the dump across from one big man to another (or a high-low). We ought to be able to do that all day long.

Moderator: Dave- That's the focus for Illinois on offense today: getting the ball inside. Demetri McCamey said the Illini want to go "inside-out."

“We’ve got a 7-footer and 6-10 in the frontcourt,” McCamey said. “We’ve got to get the ball inside, once you see mismatches like that and get an advantage inside. Then you rely on shooting threes with the guards.”

Wayne McClain said Demetri McCamey and Mike Davis - from an individual personnel standpoint - are the two keys today.

"He’s talked about that a lot,” Davis said of Weber. “We have a big size advantage, so we should control the boards and points in the paint. It would be big if me and Mike (Tisdale) can score in the paint, take our time and score. We could do damage."

One coach that has opposed WKU said Jeremy Evans, their forward, "will do something freaky" in the game. He's a leaper that shines on highlight reels, but he's not as refined as Davis.

Klee

Moderator: Sorry for the delay. Just got off the phone with UI recruit Joseph Bertrand. He's in Peoria today for the high school dunk contest. He won it last year, in his class, and said he hasn't really practiced any special dunks to break out.

"It's all in my head right now," Bertrand said.

He likes the Illini's chances today.

"If they play like they know like they know how, they’re in good shape," Bertrand said. "They’re an all-around good team.”

Of the current Illini, Bertrand said he talks to Dominique Keller the most.

Back to the chat.

Klee

Boulevard Gender, Smithsville, Arkansas: Do u think Alex will break out tonight?

Moderator: BG- I don't see Alex playing significant minutes tonight. And I could be wrong. But the Illini coaches have emphasized one thing in preparations for WKU.

"We’ve got to guard them like they’ve never been guarded before,” Wayne McClain said before practice yesterday.

But we'll see. In Frazier's absence, other guys are going to have to play more minutes, and Alex could be one of those. On the plus side, he's maintained a positive attitude in the locker room, although not playing has been tough for him. He's never been through that before.

Klee

Bill Tate, Omaha, Nebraska: Paul. I live in Omaha, Nebraska and wish to see the Illinois/Western Kentucky game. Where is the closest location to see the game? Bill

Moderator: Bill- Good to hear from you. Bill Tate was a great running back at Illinois and a star in a Rose Bowl win. Our resident Omaha expert, Bob Asmussen, suggests D.J.'s Dugout, which is at 636 N. 114th Street. Bob just called them and they said they will definitely have the game on.

Klee

Cal, Oak Park, ILL: Paul, Gonzaga looks like a potential Final Four team to me. Do you agree?

Moderator: Cal- Gonzaga has Final Four-type talent. There's no question about that. They also have the ability to bow out in the first round.

One thing to remember: Gonzaga owns the ACC (something like 9-2 in its history) but really has struggled with the Big Ten. Three of Gonzaga's recent NCAA tournament losses stand out in that respect: a loss to Brian Cardinal's Purdue squad in the Sweet 16, a loss to Michigan State in the Sweet 16, and a loss in the second round to one of Bobby Knight's Texas Tech teams, which amounts to a Big Ten squad. That bodes well for Illinois, if both teams advance, and I think Illinois can beat Gonzaga.

Klee

Bob Knight, Mahomet, IL: The Illini have struggled defending teams with outstanding, small, quick guards like Clemson, Michigan State, and Penn State. Are WKU's guards in the same class with those guards? If so, why do you think Illinois will win today's game?

Thanks!

Moderator: Bob- No, they're not. They're a different kind of guard. They seem to prefer the outside shot to penetrating. The Sun Belt Player of the Year, Orlando Mendez-Valdez, is listed at 6-foot-1, but he looked more like 5-10 or 5-11 to me. Good player, though. And he's a senior. That means something on this stage.

I think Illinois wins largely because of the Bruce Weber factor, and because its defense has been a constant, even when its shots aren't falling.

Klee

Moderator: Purdue and Northern Iowa are being introduced here at the Rose Garden.

Chris , Chicago, IL: Being around the team for the trip to Portland, do they seem confident to you? All I have been reading about is how they are looking to get back at all of the people picking against them, but I haven't heard anything about them believing that they WILL win the game. Do they seem like they are hoping not to lose instead of feeling like they are going to win?

Moderator: Chris- As one Illinois coach said, "I' a coach, not a psychologist." But these Illini have played with a chip since the preseason. The experts have provided plenty of fodder in that respect.

Klee

Ted , Champaign, IL: Paul,

Seems that our Illini players are listed as being taller than they actually are. Have you noticed and which one do you think are the most exaggerated?

Moderator: Ted- Almost all rosters are exaggerated. A favorite exercise is to look at the official heights when NBA prospects go to the Orlando combine, and compare them to their listed heights in college. There's often a different. I don't think Jeff Jordan is 6-foot-1. (A 44-inch vertical, according to Weber, helps make up for it.) I don't think Dominique Keller is 6-7, more like 6-6.

For some reason, Trent Meacham seems taller than 6-2. But maybe that's because he's sometimes standing up while I'm sitting down when we work on his diary for the News-Gazette.

Klee

terry, Waynesboro , Va.: who will be getting the majority of time at the two guard or will it be a cast? Also, do you really think that Illinois could get by Gonzaga if they do defeat W. Ky? Illini For Life!

Moderator: Terry- I think you'll see a rotation of Trent Meacham (he'll play major minutes tonight), Calvin Brock, Jeff Jordan and Demetri McCamey in the backcourt. Alex Legion and Billy Cole could see spot duty.

Perhaps Bruce Weber was using a little gamesmanship yesterday, but he had high praise for the Hilltoppers' backcourt.

"I'm worried about all the matchups, to be honest," he said. "It's a different look, a look we had in the nonconference (with Kent State, among others) of perimeter guys. They don't have quite the size of maybe our guys, so they're going to bring us out and maybe use their quickness and shooting ability."

Klee

Doofy, Warwick, RI: Hi Paul Hi Paul,

Are you watching this Memphis game? Can they possibly lose in the first round?

Also, what is your final 4?

Moderator: Hi Doof Hi Doof- Unfortunately the Memphis game is back in the press room, but I'm out on the court at the Rose Garden. Looks like the Tigers were given a run, though.

Klee's Final Four: Pitt, UNC, Purdue, Louisville. Not sold on the Louisville pick. But don't think Michigan State has enough shooters to win four games.

Buy Freshy a beer for me, Doof. Or some Via Via.

Klee

Ted, Decatur, Illinois: Earlier in the year there was talk of a future 4 game series with Gonzaga. Is that still in the works and when might it start?

Moderator: Ted- Lots of Gonzaga questions today. (Yours, not mine.) The series would be a four-game set. The GU officials I talked to yesterday said it would be Chicago-Seattle-Champaign-Spokane, in that order, starting next season.

Klee

Jeff, Chicago, The Great State: So if (when) we beat WKU, can we expect a big apology from the national press/experts for not picking the Illini to win?

Moderator: Jeff- If everyone had to apologize for picking games incorrectly in March, everybody would be sorry. The Hilltoppers were a trendy upset pick. I took the Illini. But I'm not apologizing if they lose.

Klee

Alan C, Oswego, IL: Hi. Paul, Love the Illini basketball chats...Anyways what will Alex Legion role in the tournament. His shooting percentage is down and if McCamey is not shooting well I dont forsee an easy night. Where will the scoring come from?

Moderator: Alan- Thanks for the question. I think it's been tough for Alex Legion to find a rhythm. Starting at the midway point of the season didn't help. Expectations were too high, a result of recruiting rankings and otherwise. I don't think Demetri has to be a scorer to have a productive game. He needs to be a facilitator, much like Chester Frazier was.

Klee

Kyle, Champaign, IL: Paul, please tell me BAM is going to send in Billy "Burner" Cole once in awhile tonight to hit a three. What is Bruce saying about him after his performance vs Purdue?

Moderator: Kyle- I think Billy Cole was caught in a bad spot. The Illinois coaches were deadset on the idea Alex Legion was going to play a big role this season, and after Cole sustained a preseason injury, he fell out of the rotation before the rotation was really formed. If that makes sense. But Weber did bring up Billy Cole's name when listing the players that could play minutes in Frazier's absence.

"We need somebody, whether it's Demetri, Jeffrey Jordan, Calvin, Alex, Billy Cole all of them combined, they've all got to make those little plays that make the difference where Chester helped us," the coach said yesterday.

Klee

Jancy, Urbana, IL: Hey, Paul - I know I'm asking you to be The Great Hoops Oracle, but what's your impression of the team's psyche going into tonight's game? I know you picked us by two points (crazy buzzer-beater tip-in by Calvin Brock?), but I'd like to know your read on whether the team is focused and ready for the game. I caught the Illini news conference on the Big Ten Network last night. Trent, Loren Tate and you seemed calm, but Calvin and Mike D. looked like the proverbial deer in the headlights. Even Coach Weber looked all done in. What say you?

Moderator: Jancy- About the only time I’m not calm is when the Nuggets are in the playoffs. But thanks for noticing. Loren Tate? Not so calm. He gets very nervous this time of year.

Trent maintains an even disposition pretty much all the time. You saw that in the comeback at Northwestern. He’s a fifth-year guy that been around this block, and he’s one of the guys that must keep the younger players from getting nervous.

I thought the Illini were visibly nervous during their open practice at the Rose Garden yesterday. Jerry Hester and I were talking about it. Jerry played in three NCAA tournaments. When he played in the NCAA tournament, he said, the magnitude of the stage hits you when you attend the open practice the day before the first game. So he said it’s normal. Me, I think they’re nervous. We'll see if that's the case tonight.

Klee

BW, Tyngsboro, MA: How are the players?

Do you like the look in their eyes, Paul?

Moderator: BW- Let's remember, these guys have it pretty good. They're riding on luxury buses, eating steak and have thousands of people hovering over their basketball game. They're doing okay.

I think Illinois will be ready to play tonight. With this coaching staff, they won't ever be under-prepared for a game.

Klee

Moderator: If you're in Portland, visit the Portland City Grill. The view is highly recommended. And the Portland Illini alumni club just said they are sitting in Sections 103 and 202 at the Rose Garden, and they're talking about arranging a Portland pep rally Saturday, if the Illini advance. I'll pass along the info when it arrives.

I better run, Purdue is opening up a big lead. Thanks for all the questions, we appreciate your time. There's a Live Report coming tonight, and we'll have loads of coverage on HQ tomorrow.

Hit me with an email if you have any further questions, I'll get it posted.

Klee