Skip to main content
Illini now

First Look at Illinois' NCAA Tournament First-Round Opponent: Penn Quakers

The Illini are going dancing for the sixth straight year, kicking off their tournament against Penn against a familiar foe in Fran McCaffrey
Pranav Hegde|
Dec 20, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Penn Quakers head coach Fran McCaffery reacts during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Dec 20, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Penn Quakers head coach Fran McCaffery reacts during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

In this story:

Illinois Fighting IlliniPenn Quakers

Illinois (24-8) is dancing again, and this time the path starts in Greenville, South Carolina. The Illini landed a No. 3 seed in the South Region and will open the NCAA Tournament against No. 14 seed Penn on Thursday (11:40 a.m. CT, truTV). Illinois enters March after a strong regular season that ended with a frustrating Big Ten Tournament stumble, while Penn arrives as the Ivy League’s automatic qualifier after an upset run that ended with an overtime win over Yale on Selection Sunday.

Penn at a glance

The Quakers are led by a very familiar name for Illinois fans in first-year head coach Fran McCaffery, who landed at Penn after a successful run at Iowa. McCaffery has worked quick magic in Philadelphia, taking a team that went 8-19 last season all the way to the NCAA Tournament. Penn is now the fifth different program he has guided to the Big Dance, which speaks to just how quickly he can establish a winning identity.

The Quakers have put together a solid first-year run under McCaffery, although they have had issues against high-major competition. Penn was blown out by Villanova and Providence, and dropped a close game to Rutgers in its only matchups against power-conference opponents. Still, this is a team peaking at the right time, winning nine of its past 10 and surviving back-to-back overtime games to capture the Ivy League Tournament title.

The Quakers on the court

Key players

The headline name for Penn is junior forward TJ Power. A former five-star recruit, Power spent time at both Duke and Virginia before landing in Philadelphia, and he has become the engine of Penn’s NCAA Tournament run. He punched the Quakers’ ticket to the Big Dance with a monster 44-point performance in the Ivy League title game, including the game-tying shot that forced overtime. Power is an elite scorer who can hurt defenses at all three levels, and if he catches fire, he is capable of turning a game in a hurry.

Another key piece is senior guard Cam Thrower, who scored 19 points in the Ivy League final. Thrower is a steady, fundamentally sound guard who rarely seems rattled. He may not be as flashy as Power, but he is the kind of player who consistently makes the right reads and gives Penn a reliable presence in the backcourt.

Penn’s leading scorer, however, is senior Ethan Roberts. Roberts suffered a concussion in practice before the Ivy League Tournament and is unlikely to return for Thursday’s matchup. It is especially tough news given that it is his second concussion of the season. If he can't go, it would be a major blow for the Quakers. Roberts is one of only three Penn players averaging double figures.

Offense

Like a typical Fran McCaffery team, Penn wants to play with tempo. The Quakers will push the pace when the opportunity is there, and they are more than willing to let it fly from deep. That approach has worked, too, as Penn ranks among the nation’s best three-point shooting teams, hitting 38.7 percent from beyond the arc. The Quakers also have shooting throughout the lineup, which makes them dangerous when the ball starts moving.

Penn does a nice job of using high ball screens, with its screener able to either roll to the basket or pop for a three. That creates tough decisions for opposing defenses and opens up driving lanes as well. The Quakers are also sound when it comes to generating paint touches and then kicking the ball out to open shooters on the perimeter. They have a very fundamental, well-coached offense that can become a real problem when the outside shot is falling.

Defense

Penn plays mostly man-to-man and does a solid job staying in front of the ball. The Quakers have some gritty defenders and generally make opponents work for clean looks. They allowed more than 80 points only six times all season, although that number does come with the caveat that they were not facing the kind of competition Illinois sees regularly in the Big Ten.

The biggest concern for Penn in this matchup is size. The Quakers do not have a single regular rotation player taller than 6-foot-9, which could become a major issue against an Illinois team that is one of the tallest in the country. If the Illini are able to establish themselves inside and control the glass, that size advantage could be one of the biggest swing factors in the game.

Illinois vs. Penn matchup

For Illinois, this is the kind of game it simply has to handle. The McCaffery story line adds a little extra intrigue, but the reality is the talent gap in this matchup is hard to ignore. Power is talented enough to make Penn dangerous for stretches, and the Quakers are clearly a well-coached team that can get hot from three, which is always worth respecting in March. At the same time, Illinois has the clear edge physically, athletically and on the glass, and that should show up if the Illini play with the right urgency.

Of course, Illinois fans know better than to assume anything this time of year. This program has had its share of March losses it never should have had, which is exactly why games like this can feel a little uncomfortable even when the matchup looks favorable on paper. Penn has enough shooting and enough structure offensively to hang around if Illinois lets it. But if the Illini lock in defensively, dominate the rebounding battle and avoid letting the Quakers get loose from deep, they should have more than enough to move on. It may not always be pretty, and March rarely is, but this is a game Illinois should take care of.

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Pranav Hegde
PRANAV HEGDE

Primarily covers Illinois football, basketball and golf, with an emphasis on news, analysis and features. Hegde, an electrical engineering student at Illinois with an affinity for sports writing, has been writing for On SI since April 2025. He can be followed and reached on Instagram @pranavhegde__.

Home/Basketball