Penn gets an early chance to measure its progress against No. 3 Illinois

Penn’s season begins with an immediate test, and a chance to show how much a tournament team can change in a few months. The Quakers open Thursday at No. 3 Illinois in a rematch of last season’s NCAA Tournament first-round game. Illinois won that matchup 105-70 before advancing to the Final Four. This time, Penn arrives with four returning starters and seven of its top nine scorers back. That continuity gives the game a different feel from a typical season opener. Penn is not simply introducing a new group to a difficult opponent.