After losing in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament, the Illinois Fighting Illini still earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament bracket Sunday.
The Illini, who finished the season with a record of 24-8, will face Ivy League-champion Penn in the first round of the tournament on Thursday, the NCAA revealed on Selection Sunday.
The game will be played in Greenville, South Carolina, as the Illini ended up in the South Region of the tournament.
If Illinois can advance into the Sweet 16 of the tournament, they would play their regional games at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Notably, there would be a possibility that they could play the Houston Cougars in that Sweet 16 game, as they were named the No. 2 seed in the South.
Florida earned the top seed, while Nebraska was No. 4. Iowa is the No. 9 seed in the South region.
If Illinois beats Penn in the first round, they could potentially face a rematch of the 2005 national title game, as North Carolina was given the No. 6 seed. The Tar Heels will face VCU in the opening round of the tournament.
Duke, Arizona and Michigan earned the other No. 1 seeds. The Midwest Region will play its Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games in Chicago, with Michigan the top seed in that bracket, followed by Iowa State, Virginia and Alabama.
The NCAA tournament will get underway with the First Four, which begins on Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio.
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