Illini Face Penn in NCAA Tournament, Aiming for Deep Run

0:00On March 16th, the Illinois men's basketball team earned a number 3 seed in the NCAA tournament. They opened against number 14 Penn on Thursday in Greenville, South Carolina. Meanwhile, the winner moves on to face number 6 North Carolina or number 11 VCU that Saturday. The Illinois sit in the South region with Topsy, Florida and number 2 Houston with regional games later in Houston before the final 4 in Indianapolis. Illinois wrapped the regular season at 24 wins and 8 losses. A recent skid of 5 defeats in 9 games, including a big 10 tournament exit, dinged their seating, but coach Brad Underwood seized it as a clean. Slay for his squad's 6th straight tournament trip. Penn earned their spot by knocking off Topsy did Yale in the Ivy League final. Coach by Fram McAfry, the Quakers went 18 and 11 overall, though leading scorer Ethan Roberts remained sideline by a concussion. A Elini victory could spark a rematch with North Carolina revisiting their 2005 title game.

1:04With tournament-tested players like freshman Keaton Wagler and veterans on board, Illinois eyes another deep run this March.