1980–81 Northeastern Huskies men's basketball team

The 1980–81 Northeastern Huskies men's basketball team represented Northeastern University during the 1980–81 college basketball season. Led by head coach Jim Calhoun, the Huskies competed in the ECAC North Conference and played their home games at Matthews Arena. They finished the season 24–6 overall with a 6–0 mark in ECAC North play to win the regular season conference title. They followed the regular season by winning the ECAC North Conference tournament to earn a bid to the NCAA tournament as No. 11 seed in the West region. After upsetting Fresno State in the opening round, the Huskies were defeated in the second round by No. 3 seed Utah, 94–69.

1980–81 Northeastern Huskies men's basketball
ECAC North Regular-season champion ECAC North Conference tournament champion
NCAA tournament, Second round
Conference	Eastern College Athletic Conference-North
Record	24–6 (6–0 ECAC-North)
Head coach	Jim Calhoun (9th season)
Assistant coaches	Karl Fogel (2nd season) Kevin Stacom J. Keith Motley
Home arena	Matthews Arena
Seasons ← 1979–80 1981–82 →

1980–81 ECAC North men's basketball standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		PCT			W		L		PCT
Northeastern †	21	–	5		.808			24	–	6		.800
Holy Cross	18	–	8		.692			20	–	10		.667
Vermont	15	–	11		.577			16	–	12		.571
Maine	13	–	13		.500			14	–	14		.500
Boston University	13	–	13		.500			13	–	14		.481
Canisius	11	–	15		.423			11	–	15		.423
Niagara	11	–	15		.423			11	–	15		.423
Colgate	11	–	17		.393			11	–	18		.379
New Hampshire	3	–	7		.300			7	–	19		.269
† 1981 ECAC North tournament winner

Roster

1980–81 Northeastern Huskies men's basketball team
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Previous school Hometown G 4 Perry Moss 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) — So Amherst HS Amherst, Massachusetts G 5 Glenn Miller 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Fr Robert E. Fitch HS Groton, Connecticut G 22 Phil Robinson 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Fr St. Anthony HS Jersey City, New Jersey F 33 Mark Halsel 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) — Fr Schenley HS Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania C 34 Russ Ziemba 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Fr St. Joseph HS Perth Amboy, New Jersey	Head coach Jim Calhoun Assistant coach(es) Karl Fogel Kevin Stacom J. Keith Motley Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible (W) Walk-on Injured Current redshirt

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Schedule and results

Date time, TV	Rank#	Opponent#	Result	Record	Site city, state
Regular season
Jan 17, 1981*		Drexel	W 77–65	10–2	Matthews Arena  Boston, Massachusetts
ECAC North tournament
Mar 6, 1981*		vs. Vermont Semifinals	W 76–69 OT	22–5	Alfond Arena  Orono, Maine
Mar 7, 1981*		Holy Cross Championship game	W 81–79 OT	23–5	Matthews Arena  Boston, Massachusetts
NCAA Tournament
Mar 13, 1981*	(11 W)	vs. (6 W) Fresno State First round	W 55–53	24–5	Special Events Center  El Paso, Texas
Mar 15, 1981*	(11 W)	vs. (3 W) No. 14 Utah Second round	L 69–94[3]	24–6	Special Events Center  El Paso, Texas
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. W=West.

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References

1. "1980s Northeastern MBB by the Year". Northeastern University Athletics. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
2. "1980–81 Northeastern Huskies Roster and Stats". Sports Reference. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
3. "North Carolina Wins". The New York Times. March 16, 1981. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
4. "2020-21 Northeastern Men's Basketball Media Guide" (PDF). Northeastern University Athletics. Retrieved February 25, 2023.