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Penn forward TJ Power’s status for first-round game vs. No. 3 Illinois uncertain because of illness

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Penn forward TJ Power’s status for the Quakers’ first-round NCAA Tournament game on Thursday night against No. 3 seed Illinois is uncertain after he missed the team’s last two practices with an illness.

Penn coach Fran McCaffrey said Power is “under the weather” and that he won’t have an update on his status until before the game.

The 6-foot-9 junior who previously played at Duke and Virginia scored 44 points in Penn’s 88-84 come-from-behind overtime victory over Yale in the Ivy League Tournament championship game and averaged 16.8 points and 7.9 per game this season for the 14th-seeded Quakers (18-11).

Power was not in the team’s locker room at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena for the 20-minute period of time that was open to the media on Wednesday. Instead, he spent time with trainers receiving treatment in hopes of recovering in time to play.

McCaffrey said not having Power has made it difficult to prepare for Illinois.

“That’s a game changer because of a lot of things we do are featuring him,” McCaffrey said. “That doesn’t make me a genius. He’s one of the most versatile, one of the most talented, one of the most accomplished players in college basketball this year. So we were going to go to him.”

The Quakers will also be without swingman Ethan Roberts, who has been out since March 6 after suffering his second concussion.

“I thought Ethan Roberts is a special player, and we’re all so disappointed for him because he really was an integral part in helping us get here,” McCaffrey said. “But when you’ve had your second concussion, it’s not something that you mess with. His health and welfare is our priority. Now you throw TJ into the mix of a guy who may or may not play. If you were asking me, ‘Do I think he’s going to play?’ I’d say yes, but he didn’t practice today. He didn’t feel up to it.”

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Hawkeyes are set to play Vanderbilt in a November women’s basketball game in Sioux City, Iowa

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Vanderbilt and Iowa, both ranked in the top 10 late last season, will meet in a women's basketball game early next season in northwest Iowa, the schools announced Tuesday. The neutral-site game is set for Nov. 15 at the Tyson Events Center, which is 290 miles from Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. Vanderbilt is 4-0 all-time against the Hawkeyes. This will be the teams' first meeting since 1997. The Commodores are expected to return national scoring leader Mikayla Blakes. She averaged 27 points per game and was Southeastern Conference player of the year. Vanderbilt was ranked as high as No. 5 and finished No. 10 with a 29-5 record after reaching the NCAA Sweet 16.
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