Illinois vs Penn: NCAA Tournament Showdown

0:00On March 16th, the NC double, Amin's basketball tournament brackets are out and Illinois draws a first-round matchup against Penn in Greenville, South Carolina. The Elini, led by coach Brad Underwood, face-off with Fran McCaffery, who just returned to his alma mater after 15 years at Iowa. Illinois comes in off a tough 91-88 loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten tournament, so they need a solid opener before a potential. Count of 32 clash with North Carolina. McCaffery holds Iowa's all-time wins record at 2097 over 504 games, including one conference title and seven. Tournament trips, but he left after a 17- and 16 season, capped by a loss to Illinois. Fans see this as a tune-up for the stronger Elini roster, ranked with the number two offense nationally against Penn's number 111. Illinois is a 23.5 favorite over the 18- and 11 Quakers, who sit at number 150 in key rankings.

1:00Penn rides high, though, winning nine of their last ten games while averaging 76.2 points per victory, bringing real momentum into the fray. That confidence could make things interesting, even if Illinois boasts one of the deepest teams around. If the Elini plays sharp, they advance smoothly and build steam for deeper runs, keeping eyes on that revenge shot down the line.