NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND PREVIEW: The Misery of Facing Friends in March Madness

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood and Pennsylvania head coach Fran McCaffrey have been close friends for decades and would obviously not face each other in a NCAA Tournament setting.

ILLINOIS vs. PENNSYLVANIA

Records: Illinois 24-8, 15-5 in Big Ten Conference; Pennsylvania 18-11, 9-5 in Ivy League

Date/Time/Place: Thursday March 19, 2026: 8:25 p.m. CST, Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina

Capacity: 15,000

ODDS: Illinois by 25.5

Series notes: Illinois leads 6-0. Illinois has never lost to Penn in the previous six times the two programs have face . . .

 

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