User:Cubbie15fan/2017–18 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team

The 2017–18 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team represented the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by first-year head coach Brad Underwood, the Illini play their home games at State Farm Center as members of the Big Ten Conference.

Previous season
Illinois finished last season 20–15, 8–10 in Big Ten play to finish in ninth place. They lost in the Second Round of the Big Ten Tournament to Michigan. They received an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament where they defeated Valparaiso and Boise State before losing in the Quarterfinals to UCF.

On March 11, 2017, Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman fired former head basketball coach John Groce. Shortly thereafter, the school announced that Assistant coach Jamall Walker will coach the team in the NIT. On March 18, the school hired Brad Underwood as the new head coach.

2016-17 additions
On September 16, 2015, Te'Jon Lucas of Milwaukee, Wisconsin verbally committed to attend Illinois in the fall of 2016 and signed his National Letter of Intent to finalize his recruitment on November 11, 2015. Lucas attended the NBA Top 100 camp in June 2015, had scholarship offers from California, Memphis, Purdue, and Wisconsin, and he strongly considered both USC and Old Dominion before committing to Illinois. Lucas is only the third player from the State of Wisconsin to commit to Illinois, and is the first since 1926.

2017–18 team recruits
On January 16, 2016, Javon Pickett of Belleville, Illinois verbally committed to attend Illinois in the fall of 2017. Pickett committed after having scholarship offers from Drake, Illinois State, Southern Illinois Edwardsville, Saint Louis University and Tennessee State. During Illinois' final home game against Minnesota on February 28, 2016, Da'Monte Williams verbally committed to attend Illinois in the fall of 2017. Williams is the son of former Illinois guard Frank Williams who led the Fighting Illini to three straight NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament appearances, including an Elite Eight appearance in 2001. On November 9, 2016 Trent Frazier signed a national letter of intent after considering Memphis, Georgia, Kansas State and Seton Hall, among others. On November 17, 2016 Jeremiah Tilmon announced that he had signed his letter of intent the previous day, after a week of press uncertainty.

Schedule and results
!colspan=12 style=| Exhibition

!colspan=12 style=| Non-conference regular season

!colspan=12 style=| Big Ten Regular season

!colspan=12 style=| Big Ten Tournament

!colspan=12 style=| NIT