ITHACA, N.Y. — Penn men’s basketball will face off with Illinois in the first round of March Madness, the NCAA announced Sunday evening.
The Quakers, who earned the Ivy League’s automatic bid after defeating Yale in the conference championship game on Sunday afternoon, are seeded 14th in the South region. The game will take place on March 19 at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greensboro, S.C., with tipoff at 9:25 p.m.
The full bracket was revealed during a live selection show on CBS. In the immediate aftermath, coach Fran McCaffery expressed his excitement at the chance to continue the team’s historic season.
“I’m just happy we’re in the field,” McCaffery, who became just the fifth coach in NCAA history to lead five different programs to the tournament, said. “We earned our way there. Obviously, I know Illinois — [coach] Brad Underwood’s a really good friend. Tremendous respect for that program. So, gotta go to work.”
McCaffery matched up with Underwood and Illinois frequently during his tenure at Iowa. Now, he leads his alma mater into a tournament clash with the familiar foe.
The third-seeded Fighting Illini finished fourth in the Big Ten this season with a 24-8 overall record. They feature one of the country’s most effective offenses — they have the highest adjusted offensive efficiency rating since KenPom began tracking the metric in 1997, and rank seventh in the nation in three-pointers made.
Illinois is led by freshman guard and phenom Keaton Wagler, who was recently named Big Ten Freshman of the Year after averaging 17.9 points per game on 40.2% from threes. Wagler is currently ranked sixth on ESPN’s 2026 NBA Draft big board.
As far as the Quakers are concerned, the assignment remains the same.
RELATED:
Next stop March Madness: Penn men’s basketball upsets reigning champion Yale in Ivy Madness final
Carnathan | How Penn men’s basketball claimed the Ivy League crown
“Obviously a talented team,” junior forward TJ Power, who scored 44 points in Penn’s title-winning victory, said. “I watched [Illinois] play at the Palestra this year against Penn State, so we’re kind of familiar with them. [They have] the big names.”
“We’re hot right now,” Power added. “I don’t know if teams want to see us, too.”
Penn came out on top of the Ancient Eight tournament after two thrilling overtime wins against Harvard and Yale.
The Quakers were also without senior guard/forward Ethan Roberts, the team’s leading scorer on the season, who suffered a concussion during practice in the days leading up to Ivy Madness. McCaffery said Roberts would be “re-evaluated” for Penn’s tournament trip.
“Being the underdog, you got a special advantage,” Power said of Penn’s tournament win. “I think we’re going to tap into that. All the fight and opportunity we had, it just energized us … We’re gonna treat this [tournament game] like it’s a game we’re supposed to win.”
Penn took in the selection show in a team celebration that included student athletes, coaches, staff, and families. After securing his 15th tournament appearance, McCaffery said he’s grateful his players will have the chance to dance.
“It’s the greatest feeling in the world,” McCaffery said of watching his players celebrate their tournament berth. “I’ve been fortunate enough to do it a lot, and it’s something I say all the time: I just wish that every player that I ever coached could play in this tournament at least once.”
“Just to see how they reacted, there’s an incredible sense of accomplishment,” McCaffery added. “Something that will be part of them for the rest of their lives.”
The turnaround for Penn will be a short one. After wrapping up the Ivy season on Sunday, the Quakers will have just three days to scout and prepare for their toughest opponent yet. But after a campaign’s worth of two-game conference weekends, Power isn’t concerned about Penn’s ability to reorient.
“This is a high that we haven’t had all year, but we’ve had these back-to-backs where you have to literally turn the page immediately,” Power said. “So we’re good at that. We’ll be good. Guys will enjoy this for today, walking around school will be fun. But we’ll be ready.”
