When Illinois travels to Alabama Tuesday for its first-round National Invitation Tournament game, coach John Groce isn't sure how motivated his team will be.

The Illini (19-13) will be making a second straight trip to the NIT. And they'll be playing what would have otherwise been a home game at Alabama (18-14) because the State Farm Center is being renovated.

Groce said last season's team played well in the NIT because seniors Jon Ekey and Joseph Bertrand didn't want to stop playing. The coach believes this team will do as well seniors Rayvonte Rice, Nnanna Egwu and Ahmad Starks play.

Illinois will also be looking for consistency that has been missing from Malcolm Hill and Kendrick Nunn.

Alabama (18-14) will be playing fresh off the firing of coach Anthony Grant.

>>> Penn names Steve Donahue men's hoops coach

Onetime University of Pennsylvania assistant Steve Donahue was hired Monday as the head men's basketball coach at the Ivy League school.

Donahue, who has long roots in the area, replaces Jerome Allen and returns to Philadelphia after stints as the head coach at Cornell and Boston College and a season analyzing basketball on TV.

He was an assistant for the Quakers during a successful run under Fran Dunphy from 1990-2000, a 10-year span during which the program won six league titles and made five appearances in the NCAA Tournament.