Brad Underwood Faces 'Great Friend' Fran McCaffery in NCAA Tournament

Illinois coach Brad Underwood will go up against a familiar foe in Penn coach Fran McCaffery, who led the Quakers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 2:07pm

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Former Iowa coach Fran McCaffery led Penn to the NCAA Tournament, where he'll match up against a familiar opponent in Illinois coach Brad Underwood. The two have a long history of coaching against each other in the Big Ten, with Underwood holding a 9-6 advantage in head-to-head matchups. Despite the lopsided nature of the game, with Illinois being a 24.5-point favorite, the coaching matchup should be entertaining as the two are close friends.

Why it matters

The NCAA Tournament selection committee often looks for intriguing storylines, and this matchup between Underwood and McCaffery fits the bill. The two have a long history of coaching against each other in the Big Ten, and their friendship adds an interesting dynamic to the game. Additionally, McCaffery's turnaround of the Penn program, leading them to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018, is a compelling narrative.

The details

Underwood and McCaffery have a long history of coaching against each other in the Big Ten, with Underwood holding a 9-6 advantage in head-to-head matchups. McCaffery, who coached at Iowa from 2010-25, led Penn to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018 in his first year as the Quakers' head coach. The Quakers punched their ticket to the tournament in dramatic fashion, as a late three-pointer from TJ Power forced overtime in an eventual 88-84 victory over No. 1 seed Yale. Power, a former top-25 recruit who previously played at Duke and Virginia, has been a key addition for Penn, averaging 16.8 points per game and making the All-Ivy League first team.

  • The NCAA Tournament selection was announced on March 17, 2026.
  • Illinois and Penn will face off in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The players

Brad Underwood

The head coach of the Illinois Fighting Illini basketball team, who has a 9-6 advantage in head-to-head matchups against Fran McCaffery.

Fran McCaffery

The head coach of the Penn Quakers basketball team, who previously coached at Iowa from 2010-25 and is making his first NCAA Tournament appearance with Penn.

TJ Power

A 6-foot-9 forward for the Penn Quakers, who was a former top-25 recruit and has played at Duke and Virginia before transferring to Penn. He made the All-Ivy League first team after averaging 16.8 points per game.

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What they’re saying

“Congratulations to our opponent, to Fran – a great, great friend and obviously a guy that we had some battles with over the years – our first opponent. ... So we know any time we face a Fran McCaffery team that we've got our hands full. But very, very excited for our players. Very, very excited for our fans, and it's a great opportunity to just let it rip, to go play and have fun.”

— Brad Underwood, Illinois Head Coach (SI.com)

“The Power kid is special. He's been at Duke. He's been at Virginia. He's a high-major player. He can really shoot it. I think he had seven threes. But, yeah, Fran's one of the best offensive minds in college basketball, and when he gets good players he's gonna give them the freedom to be special and play. He's done that with this young man, so we'll have our hands full, I know.”

— Brad Underwood, Illinois Head Coach (SI.com)

What’s next

The winner of the Illinois-Penn matchup will advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

This first-round NCAA Tournament matchup between longtime Big Ten rivals Brad Underwood and Fran McCaffery adds an intriguing storyline to the tournament, as the two coaches have a long history of coaching against each other. Despite the lopsided nature of the game on paper, the coaching matchup between these two close friends should provide an entertaining game for fans.