The NCAA men's basketball tournament bracket has officially been released, and it looks like the Illinois basketball team will be meeting a familiar foe in the opening round.
Head coach Brad Underwood and the Illini are looking for a get-right game after losing to the Wisconsin Badgers 91-88 in the Big Ten Tournament. This team needs to get their head right before a possible rematch with North Carolina in the Round of 32, but they will need to get past former Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Fran McCaffery first.
Little verbal confrontation between Fran McCaffery and Illinois assistant Ron “Chin” Coleman after the Iowa win. pic.twitter.com/YguUYJJeGO
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) February 2, 2020
McCaffery, who spent 15 years with the Hawkeyes prior to returning to his alma mater at Penn, is the all-time winningest coach in program history with 297 wins across 504 games. He was a fixture with that program for the longest time, leading Iowa to one Big Ten Tournament title and seven NCAA tournament appearances.
His time with the Hawkeyes came to an abrupt halt last season after missing his second straight NCAA tournament with a dismal 17-16 record. It was a wild end to McCaffery's tenure in Iowa City, with his final game being a 106-94 loss to Illinois in the Big Ten tournament.
What should Illinois basketball expect from Fran McCaffrey with his new program
As of writing this, Underwood and the Illini are a 23.5-point favorite heading into their opening round matchup in Greenville, South Carolina. They will be taking on an 18-11 Penn squad that's ranked No. 150 in the country according to the 2026 Pomeroy College Basketball Rankings.
On paper, this game is poised to be a one-sided affair with Illinois' No. 2 offense in the country taking on Penn's No. 111-ranked defense. Regardless of what Illinois has done in the past, it's hard to look past the fact that Illinois has one of the most stout rosters in the country.
The biggest problem that Illinois will be facing, however, is the fact that they will be taking on a Penn squad that has all of the confidence in the world. The Quakers are coming into this game winners of nine of their last ten, while averaging 76.2 points per win.
Fran McCaffery is assessed double tehcnicals and ejected from the game after exchanging words to the officials. pic.twitter.com/M5rl524Dmw
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 14, 2025
If the Illini are on their A-game, they should move on to the next round with ease. They may not cover the 23.5-point spread set for this game, but don't be surprised if we see another classic moment like this from one of Illinois' most historic foes.