Pennsylvania visits No. 3 Illinois after Vaaks' 20-point performance

No. 3 Illinois welcomes familiar foe as Penn visits Champaign

No. 3 Illinois is enjoying a sustained run of excellence not seen since the school played in the 2005 national title game against North Carolina.The Illini returned to the Final Four last spring for the first time since 2005, then retained five players...

Pennsylvania visits No. 3 Illinois after Vaaks' 20-point performance

No. 3 Illinois takes on the Pennsylvania Quakers after Stefan Vaaks scored 20 points in Illinois' 120-45 win over the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights. The teams meet Thursday for the first time this season.

Penn Opens 2026-27 Season at No. 3 Illinois in NCAA Rematch

Main Story Penn opens its 2026-27 season Thursday at No. 3 Illinois in a rematch of last season’s NCAA Tournament first-round game, which Illinois won 105-70. The Quakers return four starters and seven of their top nine scorers from a team that won the Ivy League tournament and reached the NCAA Tournament. Penn is favored to win the Ivy League again; Illinois, coming off a Final Four run, begins the season 1-0. By the Numbers Penn went 18-12 ove…