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Bring on the Fightin’ Frans.
ITHACA, NY - MARCH 14: Pennsylvania Quakers Head Coach Fran McCaffery cuts down the net after winning the Ivy League Women's Basketball Championship game between the Harvard Crimson and the Princeton Tigers on March 14, 2026, at Newman Arena in Itaca, NY. (Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The stage is set. Illinois will open its NCAA Tournament run Thursday night in Greenville, South Carolina against the Penn Quakers.
Nothing like an Ivy League matchup in mid-March. On paper, it looks like the Illini should pull out a comfortable win. FanDuel Sportsbook opened the line Sunday night at Illinois -22.
5 — which would be the kind of score we often saw when Illinois played a mid- or low-major opponent this season. But, alas, it’s March, and anything can happen. Here are three keys to Illinois pulling out the win over Penn on Thursday and advancing to the Round of 32 to face either UNC or VCU.
Be The Bigger Team This one should be obvious. We heard it all season long: Illinois is the tallest team in the country. And it paid off for much of the season, as the Illini were among the nation’s best at rebounding the ball.