Illinois gets Penn State in Big Ten Tournament opener

Third time’s the charm?

Illinois will get its third crack at Penn State this season on Thursday night in its first game of the 2023 Big Ten Tournament.

The Illini landed at the No. 7 seed following their loss to Purdue on Sunday.

This year’s tournament is at the United Center in Chicago, the first time it’s being held there since 2019.

Tipoff for Illinois and Penn State is 5:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on BTN.

The Illini have claimed three Big Ten Tournament titles all-time, winning the event in 2003, 2005 and 2021.