Momentum will be hard to find when Illinois meets Colorado in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday in Austin, Texas. The Fighting Illini, the No. 7 seed in the East Regional, have lost three of their last four games while the No. 10 Buffaloes have dropped three of five. It is a much different scenario from a year ago for Colorado, which roared into the Big Dance after winning four games in four days to claim the 2012 Pac-12 tournament title as the sixth seed.Illinois defeated two No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament during the regular season - Gonzaga and Indiana - but lost to the Hoosiers 80-64 in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament on Friday. The Fighting Illini, who received a bid despite finishing 8-10 in the competitive Big Ten, sport a strong backcourt led by seniors Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson. They will face Colorado's talented sophomore tandem of Spencer Dinwiddie and Askia Booker.ABOUT COLORADO (21-11): Andre Roberson, a 6-7 junior forward who is second in the nation in rebounding at 11.3 and was the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, missed the final two regular-season games with mononucleosis. He returned to average nearly 30 minutes in two Pac-12 tournament games, though, and appeared to have his full complement of energy. While Roberson patrols the middle and also contributes on offense (10.9 points), Dinwiddie (team-leading 15.6 points) has recorded at least 17 in eight of his last 10 games and at 6-5 has the height to shoot over smaller guards while being equally effective at driving to the basket.ABOUT ILLINOIS (22-12): The Fighting Illini lost three of their final four regular-season games, but two came at Michigan and Ohio State as the rigors of playing in arguably the toughest conference in the country took their toll. With a three-guard offense, it is no surprise Illinois is not shy in hoisting up 3-pointers. Illinois attempts nearly 24 per game - most in the Big Ten - but is eighth-best at making them. Paul was fourth in the Big Ten in scoring at 16.6. The Fighting Illini could have a difficult time keeping Roberson off the boards as 6-11 sophomore Nnanna Egwu leads the team with 4.6 rebounds. TIP-INS1. The winner will play No. 2 seed Miami or No. 15 Pacific in Sunday's third round.2. The Buffaloes defeated UNLV 68-64 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season - their first appearance since 2003 - before losing to Baylor 80-63. The Fighting Illini also defeated the Rebels in their last NCAA appearance - 73-62 in 2011 - prior to being eliminated by Kansas 73-59.3. Colorado is 4-1 on neutral courts, including 3-0 en route to the Charleston Classic championship in November. Illinois was 3-2, highlighted by a victory over Butler in the Maui Invitational in November. The teams haven't met since 1987.PREDICTION: Colorado 69, Illinois 68