Pregame: Illinois vs Penn, Thursday, March 19th, 8:25pm CT, TNT

[GrapplingIllini]

 

[Juju]

Well, at least the tornado had the decency to wait to form until the last bracket was announced.

 

[LvilleILL1]

About the best possible path to a sweet 16 we could have asked for. Zero excuses.

 

[illiniguy24]

About the best possible path to a sweet 16 we could have asked for. Zero excuses.

This x100000

 

[BatteredWifeSchwartz]

Fran to BU

 

[Fighter of the Nightman]

It’s survive and advance now, so it’s one game at a time … and we cannot lose to Fran.

 

[blife]

It's the Big Dance, no game is an easy game. Get locked in mentally, make shots, play your a$$ off on D and own the boards. LFG!!!!

 

[Illinicpa14]

UNC in Greenville.

Houston in Houston.

Duke fans in session 3 going to be wearing orange…that’ll be a 50/50 split.

 

[rdk573]

So if Purdue started on the 11 and moved up to 8 based on the tournament, Illinois had to have been better than 11 going into the BTT, right?

I am convinced all we had to do get a 2 seed was beat Wisc.

 

[Dan]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2033312368558485565

 

[Fly Illini Fly!]

Didn’t Vandy get an easier path than us as a 5?

They’d play FLA in Houston in the S16 versus getting Houston in Houston.

They also get Nebraska as a 4 who’s a fraud. We get UNC in Greenville.

 

[Serious Late]

UNC in Greenville.

Houston in Houston.

I have a hotel in Saint Louis I am still planning to use next weekend, but man, the tone of that weekend just changed dramatically.

We did it to ourselves, went from controlling our path to getting a ROUGH sweet 16 draw (if we get past UNC).

 

[One Man Fast Break]

A hot Penn team, obviously still like our chances but we'll have to earn it. The Ivy team always hangs tough for a while.

If we can't beat a 9-5 Ivy League team that went to Overtime in Semis and Finals of their conference tournament, then whatever. 18/18 Big Ten teams have a better KenPom.

 

[TheFlyingIllini1317]

About the best possible path to a sweet 16 we could have asked for. Zero excuses.

100%. Just win! Once you get to the S16 anything can happen, you can get hot, so just get there!

 

[CentralILLini]

Penn 2 really good scorers at 6’5” and 6’9” TJ Power who averaged 16/7.5. Not a super athletic team, no dynamic guard play. Multiple Illinois high school kids.

I like the matchup.

 

[Piotyr]

About the best possible path to a sweet 16 we could have asked for. Zero excuses.

Other than the spot Purdue got, like Illinois' spot more than anyone else in a protected seed.

 

[SuperMetroid]

A Penn team coached by Fran who we know and have mostly owned?
UNC minus their best player or VCU who probably should have been left out?

What are we scared of here, exactly?

Houston, on the other hand, sure.

 

[Piotyr]

Didn’t Vandy get an easier path than us?

Vandy gets the best 12 seed and the best 4 seed.

 

[Illini1977]

Never looked at tickets for the tourney, I’m confused they already all say verified resell? Is that right

 

[PepeSilvia]

Of course we get Franimal.

 

[OrangeKrush1981]

About the best possible path to a sweet 16 we could have asked for. Zero excuses.

Well said, Lville. Without leveling judgment of any sort: this bracket looks like a honey for the Illini.

 

[NorthShoreIllini]

Illinois -21.5 to open

 

[skyIdub]

A brief walk down Francon Blvd….

 

[EmeraldCityIllini]

Rutgers beat Penn. let’s rock

 

[cuillini]

Penn 2 really good scorers at 6’5” and 6’9” TJ Power who averaged 16/7.5. Not a super athletic team, no dynamic guard play. Multiple Illinois high school kids.

I like the matchup.

Their kenpom ranking is 150