1980–81 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team

1980–81 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball
OVC Tournament Champion
Ohio Valley Conference Champion
NCAA Tournament, First Round
ConferenceOhio Valley Conference
Record21–8 (12–2 OVC)
Head coach
Home arenaE. A. Diddle Arena
1980–81 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Western Kentucky 12 2   .857 21 8   .724
Murray State 10 4   .714 17 10   .630
Middle Tennessee 9 5   .643 18 9   .667
Austin Peay 7 7   .500 14 13   .519
Eastern Kentucky 7 7   .500 10 16   .385
Akron 5 9   .357 8 18   .308
Morehead State 4 10   .286 11 15   .423
Tennessee Tech 2 12   .143 6 20   .231
1981 OVC tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll

The 1980–81 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers men's basketball team represented Western Kentucky University during the 1980–81 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hilltoppers were members of the Ohio Valley Conference and led by OVC Coach of the Year Clem Haskins, in his first season as head coach. WKU won the OVC regular season and tournament championships and received the conference's automatic bid to the 1981 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament. Craig McCormick and Tony Wilson made the All-OVC Team, and Wilson and Percy White were selected to the OVC Tournament Team.