Illinois basketball’s season opener was a runaway from start to finish, but Thursday night brings a much different test.
After rolling to a 120-45 win in its first game of the 2026-27 season, Illinois heads back to the State Farm Center to face Penn at 7:30 p.m. CT on FS1. The Quakers arrive as reigning Ivy League champions and bring back 77.9 percent of their minutes from last season, the ninth-highest return rate in the country.
Penn’s last game came in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, when Illinois handled the Quakers 105-70 in the first round. This time, the matchup should be closer than that.
The Quakers are coached by former Iowa head man Fran McCaffery and have enough experience and talent to make things interesting. One of the names to know is forward TJ Power, a former five-star recruit.
Illinois has owned this series from the beginning. Since the first meeting in December 1947, the Illini have never lost to Penn and are 7-0 overall. The Quakers have only managed to stay within single digits once.
The most recent meeting was in March, when Illinois beat Penn by 35 in Greenville, South Carolina. David Mirkovic powered that win with 29 points and 17 rebounds in 28 minutes, and four other Illini reached double figures. Only one of those double-digit scorers is back this season: Tomislav Ivisic.
With Mirkovic out and Jake Davis presumably also unavailable, Illinois brings a largely new group into this rematch. Still, one familiar edge could show up again on Thursday: the glass.
Illinois outrebounded Penn 48-25 in the tournament meeting, and that kind of gap would not be a surprise this time around either. Local audio will be available on the Busey Bank Illini Sports Network, with Champaign on WDWS 93.9 FM or 1400 AM and Chicago on WLS 890 AM, and streaming is available through Fighting Illini Productions and the Varsity Network App.
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Quentin Coleman Just Gave Illinois Fans A Reason To Dream Big
Quentin Colemans first official college game gave Illinois something it can build on early, and it came in a way that should resonate with anyone watching the roster take shape. Against Fairleigh Dickinson, the freshman guard filled the box score with 13 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals in 23 minutes, all while avoiding turnovers. For a player making his debut, it was the kind of all-around showing that suggests he can help in more than one way right away.
The analytics crowd noticed, too. EvanMiyas Bayesian Performance Rating had Coleman making the biggest jump in the country after the game, vaulting him to No. 28 nationally, and he was hardly alone in the surge. Three other Illinois freshmen also posted notable BPR gains from the same outing, giving the Illini a little more reason to believe their young core may be ahead of schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Already Looks Like A National Title Threat Despite Early Concern
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Penn is next on the schedule, which should give Illinois another chance to show whether that opening-night performance was a one-off statement or the start of something bigger. The numbers behind the ranking suggest this group already belongs in the national-title conversation, but the real test will come as the competition sharpens and the injury situation continues to be part of the backdrop. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Has A Chance To Keep Rolling Before A Future Twist Emerges
Illinois gets Nebraska at Gies Memorial Stadium on November 6 with a chance to keep its momentum rolling after three straight wins. The Fighting Illini are 5-3 overall and 3-2 in conference play, and theyll meet a Cornhuskers team that arrives in the same overall spot but has dropped three in a row.
There is also a larger picture taking shape beyond this weeks matchup, with Illinois and Notre Dame set to play a two-game series in 2027 and 2028. For now, though, the focus stays on Nebraska and on whether the Illini can keep building before that future wrinkle comes into view. [Read more 🡒]