3 Observations From Illinois' 105-70 Blowout of Penn in the NCAA Tournament

Nothing cures a slump like a few jumpers dropping.

Illinois, which stumbled into Thursday's NCAA Tournament first-round matchup with Penn having lost five of its previous nine games, caught a vulnerable opponent in the 14th-seeded Quakers – and then caught fire in a 105-70 runaway victory.

David Mirkovic turned in his best game of the season with 28 points on 4-for-7 shooting from three-point range and 17 rebounds, while Keaton Wagler pushed at the edges of a triple-double with 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists as the third-seeded Illini (25-8) torched the nets at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.

Illinois' slow burn started with a so-so first half in which it simply bullied the significantly smaller Quakers (18-12), who were also playing without leading scorer Ethan Roberts (concussion). The key was Mirkovic, whose energy was different – better – from the opening tip as he spearheaded the Illini to 14 first-half offensive rebounds and a 40-30 lead at the break.

But it went off the rails for Penn from there. Mirkovic corralled yet another board to register a double-double inside the first minute of the second half, and Wagler made himself very comfortable behind the arc, routinely shaking his defender and stroking off-the-bounce threes from all angles.

Here are three more observations from Illinois' blowout first-round win in Thursday's first-round :

1. Rebounding can separate Illinois from all but the very best

Illinois forward David Mirkovic — Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward David Mirkovic (0) goes for a rebound against the Penn Quakers in the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Mirkovic engaged Godzilla mode the moment he stepped on the court Thursday, but he wasn't alone in dominating the glass. Wagler had his seven rebounds, Tomislav Ivisic added seven more, and the rest of the Illini hit their block-outs and snatched loose balls when they were there to be had. Illinois nearly doubled up Penn, outrebounding the Quakers 48-25 (including 20-7 on the offensive boards).

The Illini will face stronger pushback against more physically equipped opponents, but realistically they have the size, strength and numbers to get the best of nearly anyone – maybe even Michigan – when they are locked in and playing with the kind of intensity and swagger they showed against the Quakers. Treat everyone between here and Indianapolis like a third-place Ivy League finisher, and Illinois should manifest a Final Four appearance.

2. The Illini left no meat on the bone

There's no parallel to pitching a perfect game in basketball, but Illinois came about as close as a team can – and inside the pressure cooker of the NCAA Tournament. The Illini finished with just three turnovers against Penn, which was somehow still one more than the two free-throw attempts it yielded to the Quakers.

Illinois might have put tighter clamps on Penn's shooters (the Quakers shot 44.8 percent from the field), but it otherwise handled its business – and in many cases made hay – in nearly every facet of the game. It won't be so easy as the Illini climb higher up the ladder (particularly once they reach a theoretical Sweet 16 matchup with Houston), but the relentless, no-stone-left-unturned approach they showed Thursday needs to become the standard from here on out.

3. Illinois got the draw it (likely) wanted

VCU Rams forward Michael Belle (8) celebrates as the game ends Thursday, March 19, 2026, after the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first round game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. VCU Rams won 82-78 in OT. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In Thursday's 6-11 game, 11th-seeded VCU stung North Carolina in overtime to set up a second-round matchup with Illinois. The Tar Heels were missing injured freshman star Caleb Wilson, and although it could be argued that this made North Carolina the preferred opponent for the Illini, even a fully healthy Rams squad is more likely to be physically overwhelmed on Saturday than the Tar Heels would have been.

VCU's Phil Martelli is an excellent coach, and he will have his side ready to push Illinois harder in Saturday's second-round game than Penn was able to in the opening round. But the Illini couldn't have managed a more favorable path to the Sweet 16 if they had plotted it themselves.