2020–21 Northern Iowa Panthers men's basketball team

2020–21 Northern Iowa Panthers men's basketball
ConferenceMissouri Valley Conference
Record10–15 (7–11 MVC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • P. J. Hogan
  • Erik Crawford
  • Kyle Green
Home arenaMcLeod Center
2020–21 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
No. 17 Loyola Chicago162 .889265  .839
Drake153 .833265  .839
Missouri State126 .667177  .708
Indiana State117 .6111510  .600
Evansville711 .389916  .360
Valparaiso711 .3891018  .357
Northern Iowa711 .3891015  .400
Bradley612 .3331216  .429
Southern Illinois513 .2781214  .462
Illinois State414 .222718  .280
2021 MVC tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll

The 2020–21 Northern Iowa Panthers men's basketball team represented the University of Northern Iowa during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Panthers, led by 15th-year head coach Ben Jacobson, played their home games at the McLeod Center in Cedar Falls, Iowa as members of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC). In a season limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Panthers finished the season 10–15, 7–11 in MVC play, to finish in a three-way tie for fifth place. As the No. 7 seed in the MVC tournament, they defeated Illinois State in the first round before being forced to forfeit their quarterfinal game against Drake due to positive COVID-19 tests.