# 2017–18 Grambling State Tigers men's basketball team

The 2017–18 Grambling State Tigers men's basketball team represented Grambling State University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Tigers, led by first-year head coach Donte Jackson, played their home games at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center in Grambling, Louisiana as members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
With a win over Alabama State on March 3, 2018, Grambling State clinched the outright SWAC regular season championship, the school's first since 1989. They finished the season 17–14, 13–5 in SWAC play. However, the Tigers were ineligible for postseason play due to APR violations.

## Previous season

The Tigers finished the 2016–17 season 16–17, 10–8 in SWAC play to finish in a four-way tie for third place. As the 5-seed in the SWAC tournament they defeated Prairie View A&M before losing in the semifinals to Texas Southern.
On March 22, 2017, it was announced that head coach Shawn Walker's contract would not be renewed. He finished at Grambling State with a three-year record of 25–68. On May 12, Grambling State hired Donte Jackson from Stillman of the NAIA as new head coach.

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Opponent | Result | Record | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Non-conference regular season |||||
| Nov 10, 2017* 6:00 pm, MASN | at VCU | L 65–94 | 0–1 | Siegel Center (7,637) Richmond, VA |
| Nov 16, 2017* 7:00 pm, BTN+ | at Iowa | L 74–85 | 0–2 | Carver–Hawkeye Arena (10,540) Iowa City, IA |
| Nov 18, 2017* 7:00 pm | at South Dakota | L 55–84 | 0–3 | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (2,054) Vermillion, SD |
| Nov 21, 2017* 6:00 pm | at Bethune–Cookman Ramblin' Wreck Showcase | L 78–87 | 0–4 | Moore Gymnasium (616) Daytona Beach, FL |
| Nov 25, 2017* 7:00 pm | at Texas–Rio Grande Valley Ramblin' Wreck Showcase | W 82–76 | 1–4 | UTRGV Fieldhouse (478) Edinburg, TX |
| Nov 27, 2017* 7:00 pm | at North Texas Ramblin' Wreck Showcase | L 77–82 | 1–5 | The Super Pit (1,513) Denton, TX |
| Dec 1, 2017* 6:30 pm | at Georgia Tech Ramblin' Wreck Showcase | W 64–63 | 2–5 | McCamish Pavilion (4,925) Atlanta, GA |
| Dec 4, 2017* 7:00 pm | Tougaloo | W 111–95 | 3–5 | Hobdy Center (510) Grambling, LA |
| Dec 9, 2017* 8:00 pm | at Grand Canyon | L 53–87 | 3–6 | GCU Arena (6,289) Phoenix, AZ |
| Dec 12, 2017* 7:00 pm | at Louisiana–Monroe | L 57–59 | 3–7 | Fant–Ewing Coliseum (1,391) Monroe, LA |
| Dec 16, 2017* 2:00 pm | at Southeastern Louisiana | W 68–67 | 4–7 | University Center (425) Hammond, LA |
| Dec 21, 2017* 6:00 pm | at East Carolina | L 68–76 | 4–8 | Williams Arena (3,302) Greenville, NC |
| Dec 28, 2017* 9:00 pm | at Seattle | L 63–93 | 4–9 | KeyArena (999) Seattle, WA |
| SWAC regular season |||||
| Jan 1, 2018 2:00 pm | Alabama A&M | L 64–71 | 4–10 (0–1) | Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center (231) Grambiling, LA |
| Jan 3, 2018 7:30 pm | Alabama State | L 66–74 | 4–11 (0–2) | Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center (325) Grambiling, LA |
| Jan 6, 2018 5:30 pm | at Southern | L 69–80 | 4–12 (0–3) | F. G. Clark Center (2,108) Baton Rouge, LA |
| Jan 8, 2018 7:00 pm | at Alcorn State | W 72–61 | 5–12 (1–3) | Davey Whitney Complex (744) Lorman, MS |
| Jan 13, 2018 5:30 pm | Prairie View A&M | W 80–71 | 6–12 (2–3) | Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center (715) Grambiling, LA |
| Jan 15, 2018 7:30 pm | Texas Southern | W 79–78 | 7–12 (3–3) | Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center (1,243) Grambiling, LA |
| Jan 20, 2018 5:30 pm | at Jackson State | W 72–45 | 8–12 (4–3) | Williams Assembly Center (4,309) Jackson, MS |
| Jan 27, 2018 5:30 pm | at Arkansas–Pine Bluff | W 69–68 | 9–12 (5–3) | K. L. Johnson Complex (5,060) Pine Bluff, AR |
| Jan 29, 2018 7:30 pm | at Mississippi Valley State | W 92–89 $^{OT}$ | 10–12 (6–3) | Harrison HPER Complex (2,810) Itta Bena, MS |
| Feb 3, 2018 5:30 pm | Southern | W 69–68 | 11–12 (7–3) | Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center (3,875) Grambling, LA |
| Feb 5, 2018 7:30 pm | Alcorn State | W 81–72 | 12–12 (8–3) | Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center (1,160) Grambling, LA |
| Feb 10, 2018 5:00 pm | at Prairie View A&M | W 90–85 | 13–12 (9–3) | William J. Nicks Building (472) Prairie View, TX |
| Feb 12, 2018 7:30 pm | at Texas Southern | W 78–55 | 14–12 (10–3) | H&PE Arena (3,127) Houston, TX |
| Feb 17, 2018 7:30 pm | Jackson State | W 71–64 | 15–12 (11–3) | Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center (1,207) Grambling, LA |
| Feb 24, 2018 5:30 pm | Arkansas–Pine Bluff | L 66–75 | 15–13 (11–4) | Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center (2,700) Grambiling, LA |
| Feb 26, 2018 7:30 pm | Mississippi Valley State | L 74–79 | 15–14 (11–5) | Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center (1,431) Grambiling, LA |
| Mar 1, 2018 7:30 pm | at Alabama A&M | W 84–74 $^{OT}$ | 16–14 (12–5) | Elmore Gymnasium Normal, AL |
| Mar 3, 2018 3:00 pm | at Alabama State | W 66–64 | 17–14 (13–5) | Dunn–Oliver Acadome Montgomery, AL |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central Time. |||||