Penn to open NCAA Tournament against No. 3 Illinois in Greenville
After upsetting Yale in the Ivy League championship, the 14th-seeded Quakers punched their ticket to March Madness and will face Illinois on Thursday.
Penn is heading to Greenville, S.C., to take on third-seeded Illinois in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Following Penn’s Ivy League championship win over Yale, the team stayed in Ithaca, N.Y., to watch CBS’s Selection Sunday show. As the full bracket was unveiled, the team, with the Penn band and cheerleaders, celebrated upon learning of its No. 14 seeding and matchup.
“I’m just happy we’re in the field,” said coach Fran McCaffery. “Earned our way there. Obviously, I know Illinois’ Brad Underwood, a really good friend, tremendous respect for that program. So got to go to work.”
The game is set for Thursday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, with the time to be determined.
» READ MORE: Penn wins Ivy League tourney and punches ticket to NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018
Moments after learning Penn’s opponent, TJ Power, who broke the men’s Ivy League tournament single-game scoring record with 44 points against Yale, discussed the team’s mentality.
“I think being the underdog, you got a special advantage a little bit,” Power said. “I’ve never been in that position, but I think we’re going to tap into that. All the fight and opportunity we had, it energized us. I want guys to enjoy this whole journey, and it’s special.”
Ranked seventh in the Ivy League preseason poll, Penn built its championship-winning campaign on McCaffery’s fast-paced offense, as Power (16.8 points per game) and Ethan Roberts (16.9 points per game) finished in the top 10 in scoring in the Ivy League.
Roberts, who missed the Ivy League tournament because of a concussion, will be reevaluated in the coming days for a potential return on Thursday. Penn is hoping to cause another upset on its road to glory.
“Obviously talented team,” Power said. “I watched them play in the Palestra this year against Penn State, so kind of familiar with them — [they’re] big names, but we’re hot right now. I don’t know if teams want to see us, too.”
Penn has won nine of its last 10 games, while Illinois has lost five of its last nine games, most recently falling to Wisconsin in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament. Illinois has plenty of talent, led by breakout freshman star Keaton Wagler, who is averaging 17.9 points.