<\/p>\n
Illinois<\/a> is in trouble against Penn in the first round of the men\u2019s NCAA Tournament<\/a>.<\/p>\n Minor trouble, at the least. Unless it\u2019s no trouble at all.<\/p>\n Who can be sure?<\/p>\n Since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, No. 14 seeds have upset No. 3 seeds 23 times in 160 tries, or 14.4% of the time. So it definitely happens, and it could happen Thursday (8:25 p.m., TNT) in Greenville, South Carolina, even though the Quakers finished third in the Ivy League during the regular season and are on the wrong end of a 24\u00bd-point spread.<\/p>\n Illini coach Brad Underwood isn\u2019t taking anything for granted. That\u2019s because 10 years ago in New York, he witnessed mentor Bob Huggins go down hard as a 3 seed, his West Virginia team smoked 70-56 by 14 seed Stephen F. Austin. Nicknamed \u201cPress Virginia\u201d for the havoc they created defensively, the Mountaineers instead were harassed into 22 turnovers themselves, 15 more than they created. Huggins was just plain outcoached that day \u2014 by SFA\u2019s Underwood, who\u2019d worked for Huggins for six seasons at Kansas State.<\/p>\n It led to this all-timer of a quote from a disgusted Huggins:<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know why anybody would waste energy pressing us. We\u2019ll throw it to you regardless.\u201d<\/p>\n Don\u2019t you just have to love this tournament?<\/p>\n Another nice story: Former longtime Iowa coach Fran McCaffery, who was fired last year after his 15th season, landed at Penn, his alma mater. At 66, McCaffery \u2014 a temperamental coach Illinois fans loved to not love, but also close friends with Underwood \u2014 is back home in more ways than one. Penn is in Philadelphia, McCaffery\u2019s hometown.<\/p>\n The Quakers (18-11) upset Yale to win the Ivy tournament, with 6-9 forward TJ Power \u2014 whom McCaffery calls \u201cone of the best players in the country, bar none\u201d \u2014 exploding for 44 points and 14 rebounds. They won the tournament without leading scorer Ethan Roberts, who is from Arlington Heights (Hersey). Roberts is in concussion protocol and will not play against the Illini (24-8).<\/p>\n \u201cIf it was his ankle, he\u2019d be playing. Tape it up,\u201d McCaffery said. \u201cBut the concussion stuff, you don\u2019t mess with that. His future is too important, and we love him.\u201d<\/p>\n Even McCaffery\u2019s critics have to admit his track record of getting teams to the Big Dance is impressive. Long ago, he got Lehigh there and it helped lead him to UNC Greensboro. He took UNC Greensboro there and it helped lead him to Siena. He took Siena there three times \u2014 winning first-round games twice \u2014 and that got him to Iowa. The Hawkeyes went to the tournament seven times under McCaffery.<\/p>\n Now Penn is dancing for the first time since 2018.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat he\u2019s done with that team is just short of amazing,\u201d Underwood said. \u201cThey\u2019re good. It\u2019s a good basketball team. I see Fran\u2019s thumbprint all over it, and the competitiveness.\u201d<\/p>\n By the way, that sound you hear in the distance is, in fact, McCaffery\u2019s critics. They\u2019re pointing out the man has taken teams to the NCAA Tournament 12 times without ever making it past the second round. It\u2019s the truth. Barring a massive upset against Underwood \u2014 who was 9-6 head-to-head against McCaffery in Illinois-Iowa games \u2014 it\u2019s about to be 13.<\/p>\n Underwood would seem to hold all the cards in this one.<\/p>\n \u201cHe gets pieces that fit,\u201d McCaffery said. \u201cHe gets pieces that prioritize winning, and his teams continue to win. Because, as we know, some teams that build rosters now look good on paper, but they don\u2019t win. His teams win, and there\u2019s a reason for that.\u201d<\/p>\n But at Bon Secours Wellness Arena \u2014 Greenvillians just call it \u201cThe Well\u201d \u2014 anything might happen. That\u2019s why it\u2019s called March Madness.<\/p>\n Well, well, well \u2014 a 14 over a 3? Or no trouble for the Illini at all?<\/p>\n It\u2019s that time.<\/p>\n \n