Illinois shifts into another gear to bury No. 14 Penn

GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 19: David Mirkovic #0 of the Illinois Fighting Illini reacts in the first half against the Pennsylvania Quakers during the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) | Getty Images GREENVILLE, S. C.

— Brad Underwood told his team to “let it rip” before the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and the Illini responded by shifting into a gear fans haven’t seen in weeks. Behind a monstrous, career-high 29 points and 17 rebounds from freshman David Mirkovic, No. 3 Illinois turned a cold shooting start into a 105-70 statement win over No.

14 Penn on Thursday night in Greenville to move on to the Round of 32. B/R Hoops (@brhoops) on X “We just didn’t make a lot of shots,” said Illinois head coach Brad Underwood. “That’s where this guy [Mirkovic] came in.

” The Illini began their March Madness journey up against a familiar face in former Iowa head coach Fran McCaffrey. After a month defined by late-game collapses against Michigan State, UCLA and Wisconsin twice, Illinois turned the page on that narrative and effectively put the game to bed early on in the second half. While the three-pointers weren’t falling early, the Illini found different ways to control the game.