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. The Quakers are in danger of playing without star forward TJ Power, their second-leading scorer and potential March Madness darling.
Power just carried Penn to its first March Madness appearance since 2018 with a heroic 44-point, 14-rebound effort in its win over Yale in the Ivy League Championship Game. He is now in danger of missing the Round of 64 matchup after coming down with a sudden illness, according to Daily Penn Sports.
Power is the team's second-leading scorer on the year behind senior forward Ethan Roberts, who pitches in 16.9 points per game.
However, if Penn had any hope of pulling off the upset against Illinois, it would have been off the fingertips of Power, who has been shooting lights-out in the last month. Power is averaging 20 points while hitting an absurd 48.6 percent of his three-pointers during Penn's current 9-1 run.
Penn is already dealing with an injury to Roberts, who has been out since March 6 with a concussion. Roberts is practicing with the team amid an attempted return against Illinois, but the Quakers are in serious danger of playing their biggest game of the year without their two leading scorers.
If Roberts and Power both sit out, Penn would be heavily reliant on senior forward Michael Zanoni and junior guard Cam Thrower. Zanoni is the team's third-leading scorer at 11.6 points per game, while Thrower is coming off a 19-point effort against Yale. Thrower only averages 5.7 points per game on the year but shoots an efficient 41.7 percent from deep and stepped up with consecutive double-digit-scoring nights in the Ivy League Tournament.
