No. 3 seed Illinois opens title pursuit with familiar feel vs. Penn

Illinois team leaders called a players-only meeting last weekend after an early exit from the Big Ten tournament.

It allowed the Fighting Illini to regroup as they await the chance to reset for the NCAA Tournament.

Third-seeded Illinois meets No. 14 Penn in a South Region first-round game on Thursday in Greenville, S.C. The Illini (24-8) hope it's a springboard to additional road trips in the next three weeks.

"This is the last time this group of guys will ever play together," senior guard Kylan Boswell said.