No. 3 seed Illinois enters this first-round matchup as a heavy favorite, bringing a 24–8 record and Big Ten-tested roster into Greenville, SC, while No. 14 Penn arrives at 18–11 after a dramatic Ivy League Tournament run, highlighted by TJ Power’s 44-point explosion in the title game. The Illi ni, led by standout contributors like Keaton Wagler and David Mirkovic, have been widely projected to make a deep tournament run, with analysts pointing to their offensive firepower and overall talent advantage. ...read more read less