The Stanford Cardinal still (hopefully) have a few games left before the season is officially over, where they will play in the College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas, NV as part of an eight-team tournament.
Penn’s upset bid for its first-round matchup with Illinois could take a significant hit before the teams grace the Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Thursday.
No. 3 seed Illinois would have been a big favorite against No. 14 seed Penn in the NCAA Tournament even if the Quakers were at full strength. But the Illini figure to have an even greater advantage after heading Penn coach Fran McCaffery's update on leading scorer Ethan Roberts.
Sometimes it feels like the NCAA Tournament selection committee can't resist an intriguing story line when a reasonable opportunity arises to create one.