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Penn Men’s Basketball Picked to Win Ivy League

Media members selected Penn as the preseason favorite following a successful season.

Updated on Oct. 13, 2026 in Basketball

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The Penn men’s basketball team enters the upcoming season as the Ivy League favorite after receiving 11 of 21 first-place preseason votes. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Penn men’s basketball team received 11 of 21 first-place votes in a recent preseason media poll. The team enters the season as the conference favorite after a dominant run last year.

Why it matters

The recognition highlights the program’s current strength as it prepares to host the Ivy Madness tournament. This event also marks a special celebration for the historic arena.

Penn secured a majority of the 21 first-place votes in the media poll. The team previously relied on a 44-point performance from TJ Power in Ivy Madness tournament action.

The players

Fran McCaffery

He is the head coach of the Penn men's basketball team and a former player on the program's Final Four team.

TJ Power

He is a standout player for Penn who notably scored 44 points in an Ivy Madness tournament game.

Sir Mohammed

He is a new addition to the Penn roster who transferred from Notre Dame.

Dorian Glogovac

He is a transfer athlete joining the Penn program from Caltech.

The details

Head coach Fran McCaffery has refreshed the roster by adding new freshmen and transfers, including Sir Mohammed from Notre Dame and Dorian Glogovac from Caltech. The team aims to replicate its success from last season when they defeated Yale in overtime to clinch the Ivy Madness title.

Timeline

  1. 1978-1979: Fran McCaffery played on the Penn Final Four team.

  2. 2018: Penn made its last NCAA Tournament appearance before 2026.

  3. 2026-2027 season: The team begins the upcoming men's basketball season.

  4. 2028: The Ivy Madness tournament is scheduled to move to Allentown.

Season Trajectory

The choice to host the tournament at the Palestra follows the 100th anniversary of the Palestra. This season the Ivy Madness tournament returns to the Palestra to honor the venue's 100th anniversary.

The return of the Ivy Madness tournament to the Palestra ensures that fans in Philadelphia will host the postseason competition this season. The integration of transfers like Sir Mohammed and Dorian Glogovac will likely alter the team's rotation throughout the upcoming conference schedule.

The takeaway

The high preseason ranking places significant expectations on the roster as they integrate new players. Fans can expect increased intensity at the Palestra given the milestone celebration and the tournament’s return to the historic home court.

Further reading

For more updates, check our guide to Philadelphia Basketball.

Source note: This article includes information reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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Does high public expectation for your local college team generally improve community spirit?