In 2017, the Illinois State University men’s basketball team won the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) tournament, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. The Redbirds, led by head coach Dan Muller, had a record of 27-6 heading into the tournament.

In the MVC tournament, held from March 2-5, 2017, the Redbirds won three straight games to claim the championship. In the championship game, played on March 5, Illinois State faced off against the Wichita State Shockers. The game was a closely contested battle, with the score tied at 53-53 with just over two minutes remaining. However, the Redbirds went on a late 8-0 run to secure the win, with forward MiKyle McIntosh scoring a team-high 16 points.

With the MVC championship in hand, the Redbirds earned a 13th seed in the NCAA tournament and faced the 4th-seeded Butler Bulldogs in the first round. The game, played on March 17, 2017, was a back-and-forth battle, with both teams trading leads throughout the contest. However, Butler pulled away in the final minutes and won the game by a score of 75-71. McIntosh once again led the Redbirds in scoring with 25 points.

Despite the loss in the NCAA tournament, the 2017 season was a successful one for the Redbirds, as they won the MVC tournament for the first time since 1998 and earned a trip to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1998. The team’s success also helped to boost morale and increase support from fans and alumni.