Illinois vs. Penn: No. 3 Illini Heavy Favorites in NCAA first-round matchup on March 19, 2026

Illinois vs. Penn headlines a first-round NCAA Tournament pairing on Thursday, March 19, 2026, when the No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini (24-8) meet the No. 14 Penn Quakers (18-11) at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. Tip is scheduled for 8:25 p.m. on TNT, with Illinois entering as roughly a 24½-point favorite.

The Quakers reached the field by capturing the Ivy League tournament, knocking off Yale in the final behind 6-foot-9 forward TJ Power, who posted 44 points and 14 rebounds. Penn will be without leading scorer Ethan Roberts (Arlington Heights, Hersey), who remains in concussion protocol and is out for Thursday’s game. Illinois coach Brad Underwood faces a familiar coach in Penn’s Fran McCaffery, who returned to his alma mater this season after 15 years at Iowa; McCaffery is 66 years old and from Philadelphia.

Upsets by 14 seeds are uncommon but not unheard of — since the field expanded in 1985, No. 14s have toppled No. 3s 23 times in 160 matchups (about 14.4%). McCaffery’s résumé includes multiple NCAA appearances at Lehigh, UNC Greensboro, Siena and Iowa, and Penn is making its first tournament trip since 2018. Historical head-to-heads favor Underwood (9-6), and analysts expect Illinois to control the matchup, though the tournament’s history of surprises keeps the outcome uncertain.