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Brad Underwood Previews NCAA Tournament Matchup With Fran McCaffery’s Penn - Armchair Illinois
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Brad Underwood Previews NCAA Tournament Matchup With Fran McCaffery’s Penn

What does Brad Underwood think about facing an old friend and former Big Ten rival in the Round of 64?

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Brad Underwood. Illinois Basketball. Photo Credit: David Pollak - Armchair Illini.
Brad Underwood. Illinois Basketball. Photo Credit: David Pollak - Armchair Illini.

The Illinois men’s basketball team will kick off its 2026 NCAA Tournament journey in Greenville, South Carolina, on Thursday evening as coach Brad Underwood and the No. 3-seeded Illini take on coach Fran McCaffery and the Penn Quakers in the South Region opener.

This Fighting Illini squad has shown flashes of dominance during its 24–8 regular season, highlighted by a 12-game win streak dating from late December to early February, which at one point (until their 2/7 loss to Michigan State) skyrocketed the Illini up to No. 5 in the AP Polls. Of course, among those victories was an 88-82 win on the road at eventual Big Ten Tournament champion Purdue. Notably, star freshman Keaton Wagler put the nation on notice when he dropped a 46-point, record-breaking performance to lead Illinois past the Boilermakers, with Kylan Boswell on the bench due to a fractured right hand.

Since then, the Illini have hit an unfortunate 4–5 skid in their final nine games of the regular season, including four overtime losses to Michigan State, UCLA, and Wisconsin twice. (Most recently to the Badgers, which knocked the Illini out of the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals.)

If Coach Underwood’s squad can recapture that midseason rhythm (elite shooting, aggressive on the boards, finishing games), Thursday’s matchup could be the perfect opportunity for this talented unit to reset momentum and build confidence heading into a potential Round of 32 clash with either North Carolina or VCU.

Of course, an old friend of Brad Underwood, and former Illini rival, certainly won’t make it easy.

Brad Underwood vs. Fran McCaffery

Brad Underwood and Fran McCaffery’s coaching history dates back to heated Big Ten battles when Illinois and Iowa were at the peak of a highly competitive border-battle rivalry. While intense, the rivalry was always rooted in mutual respect between two great coaches.

After a successful career in Iowa City, McCaffery has returned to his Ivy League alma mater, bringing experience and leadership back to a Quakers program which he is deeply rooted. His return to Penn and familiarity with coach Underwood certainly add some intrigue to this 3-14 seed matchup, as he looks to pull off the bracket buster against an old friend.

Underwood on the impending matchup with McCaffery: “It was great being in the Palestra this year and seeing him. We have a lot in common in terms of our kids playing and coaching for us, and he came up through the lower ranks as I have. To just see him genuinely so happy at Penn — he’s back home, a lot of acquaintances around, and his sheer joy for coaching and being at his alma mater was really cool.

Yeah, it is not easy, but I also know he’s an elite competitor as I am, and for those 40 minutes you hook it up and then hug after and wish the winner the best. I know we’ve had a lot of battles with Fran over the years, and I know we’re going to get a team that’s very, very well coached and is going to play extremely hard.”

Keys to 3-seed Illinois Taking Down McCaffery’s 14th-seeded Quakers 

Underwood on McCaffery’s Penn Squad: “Yeah, I haven’t watched a lot of them. Actually, the one game I chose to watch today was a little bit of their game. The Power Kid (TJ Power) is special. He’s been at Duke, he’s been at Virginia — he’s a high-major player. He can really shoot it. I think he had seven threes? Fran is one of the best offensive minds in college basketball, and when he gets good players, he gives them the freedom to be special and play. He’s done that with this young man. So we’ll have our hands full. I know watching him on the circuit back a few years ago, he’s very talented. He’s found his niche at Penn, and he’s found the right coach in Fran to let him go.”

Regardless of the heavy mutual respect between these great coaches, Illinois is currently favored by 24.5 points in Thursday’s Round of 64 nightcap, according to DraftKings and ESPN. If the Illini can find their rhythm from deep, control the glass, and avoid the kind of cold stretches that allow teams to shoot their way back into games and flip momentum, Thursday night could be the spark that boosts confidence and carries Illinois deeper into the tournament.

That said, Underwood knows a slow start could be dangerous. Few coaches have a rivaled history, and understand how to prepare for him like McCaffery. A sluggish Illinois team, on a late East Coast night, could face a battle that’s more tense than necessary….

Tipoff for the Illini vs Penn is at 8:30 PM CT on TBS.  The winner of Brad vs Fran 2.0 will advance to face either North Carolina or VCU.

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Kirkland is an expert source for Illinois athletics news. He is the lead Football analyst at Armchair Illini and has been featured in top media publications like Bleacher Report, Yard Barker, Autograph, Newsbreak, CBS Sports and more.

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