In 2017 Ili led the Tall Blacks to a fourth place finish at the 2017 Asia Cup with his best performances in the Tall Black singlet.
Ili averaged 15.4 points and 5.8 assists per game and was selected in the FIBA Asia Cup All Star Five. In the NZ NBL, he led the Wellington Saints to an unbeaten season, winning back to back NBL Championships. Ili was awarded NBL Finals MVP after scoring 31 points against the Southland Sharks in the final. The 2017/18 ANBL season would prove a breakthrough season for Ili, when he was awarded the ANBL’s Most Improved Player averaging 9.2 points and 3.1 assists per game for the SKYCITY Breakers.
