Penn probably would have preferred not to see Illinois again so soon, but the schedule handed the Quakers a quick rematch anyway.
No. 3 Illinois, coming off a staggering 120-45 win over Fairleigh Dickinson in its opener, will host Penn at the State Farm Center on Thursday at 7:30 CT on FS1. It’s the same matchup that opened last March’s NCAA Tournament run for the Illini, when they rolled past Penn 105-70 on their way to the Final Four.
This Penn team looks far more equipped for the challenge than the one Illinois saw in March. Fran McCaffery is back for his second season in charge, and after years at Iowa, he knows exactly what Big Ten-level pressure looks like. His first year at Penn was a success: an 18-12 record, a 9-5 Ivy League mark, an Ivy League Tournament title and the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018.
The Quakers also bring back a lot of what made them dangerous a year ago. Seven of their top nine scorers return, and the preseason Ivy League poll pegged them first.
The headliner is senior forward TJ Power, one of the league’s premier players. At 6-foot-9, he gives Penn a scorer who can hurt teams from everywhere, averaging 16.4 points and 7.6 rebounds while shooting 43.2 percent from three last season.
He saved his biggest burst for the Ivy League Tournament final, piling up 44 points and 14 rebounds in an overtime win over Yale. Illinois, though, held him to six points in their NCAA Tournament meeting, with Power dealing with an illness.
Penn’s perimeter punch doesn’t stop there. Senior Michael Zanoni averaged 11.8 points and shot 38.7 percent from deep last season, and he led the Quakers with 20 points against Illinois in March. Junior guard AJ Levine is back to steer the offense after posting 8.2 points and 4.0 assists per game, and Notre Dame transfer Sir Mohammed adds a 6-foot-6 wing who should give Penn more size and athleticism.
The shooting numbers explain why Penn can hang around if it gets rolling. The Quakers ranked 16th nationally in 3-point percentage last season at 38.2 percent, with Power, Jay Jones and Zanoni all knocking down shots at a high clip. As a team, Penn averaged 75.9 points per game and shot 44.1 percent from the field.
McCaffery’s offense is built on pace, movement and a steady stream of open looks. High ball screens and passing are central to what Penn wants to do, and the Quakers will need that rhythm to show up if they want to keep up with Illinois.
Defensively, Penn leans on man-to-man principles and tries to keep opponents from getting clean perimeter looks. The Quakers allowed 74.4 points per game last season, with opponents shooting 45.3 percent overall and 32.2 percent from three. But the real issue came inside, where Penn struggled more than it did on the arc.
That showed clearly in the NCAA Tournament meeting with Illinois, when the Illini owned the boards 48-25 and David Mirkovic went off for 29 points and 17 rebounds. Penn does have returning frontcourt pieces in Augustus Gerhart and Dalton Scantlebury, but handling Illinois’ size is still a major assignment.
After what Illinois did to Fairleigh Dickinson, Thursday should be a much better measuring stick. The Illini were nearly flawless in the opener, setting a program record with 19 made 3-pointers and winning by a school-record 75 points. Penn is a legitimate Ivy League contender, though, and it has enough shooting and experience to make this one more competitive than last March’s meeting.
Still, the matchup points toward another difficult night for the Quakers if Illinois brings the same firepower and frontcourt edge it showed in game one.
In Other News...
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
Illinois opened the season with a convincing win over Fairleigh Dickinson even while dealing with key injuries, and the early returns were strong enough to push the Illini to No. 1 in Evan Miyakawas college basketball analytical ranking. For a team that entered the year with some concern about how it would hold up without a full roster, the opener offered a clear reminder of just how high the ceiling can be when the system is clicking on both ends.
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 🡒]