# 2020–21 Appalachian State Mountaineers men's basketball team

The 2020–21 Appalachian State Mountaineers men's basketball team represented Appalachian State University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Mountaineers, led by second-year head coach Dustin Kerns, played their home games at the George M. Holmes Convocation Center in Boone, North Carolina as members of the Sun Belt Conference. With the creation of divisions to cut down on travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they played in the East Division. They finished the season 17–12, 7–8 in Sun Belt Play to finish 4th in the East Division. They defeated Little Rock, Texas State, Coastal Carolina, and Georgia State to win the Sun Belt tournament. They received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament where they lost in the First Four to Norfolk State.

## Previous season

The Mountaineers finished the 2019–20 season 18–15, 11–9 in Sun Belt play to finish in sixth place. They defeated Coastal Carolina in the second round of the Sun Belt tournament before losing in the quarterfinals to Texas State.

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Non-conference Regular season |||||||||
| November 25, 2020* 7:00 pm | | at South Carolina State | W 81–61 | 1–0 | 14 – Gregory | 7 – Forrest | 3 – Forrest | SHM Memorial Center Orangeburg, SC |
| November 27, 2020* 6:00 pm, ESPN+ | | Carver | W 105–23 | 2–0 | 12 – Lewis Jr. | 13 – Glushkov | 4 – Forrest | Holmes Center (25) Boone, NC |
| November 30, 2020* 6:00 pm, ESPN+ | | Bowling Green | L 76–78 $^{OT}$ | 2–1 | 21 – Almonacy | 8 – Lewis Jr. | 5 – Gregory | Holmes Center (25) Boone, NC |
| December 1, 2020* 6:00 pm, ESPN+ | | St. Andrews | Game cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions | Game cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions | Game cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions | Game cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions | Game cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions | Holmes Center Boone, NC |
| December 3, 2020* 6:00 pm, ESPN+ | | Carolina | Game cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions | Game cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions | Game cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions | Game cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions | Game cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions | Holmes Center Boone, NC |
| December 6, 2020* 4:00 pm, ESPN+ | | North Carolina Wesleyan | W 81–57 | 3–1 | 18 – Huntley | 8 – Almonacy | 5 – Forrest | Holmes Center (85) Boone, NC |
| December 7, 2020* 4:00 pm, ESPN+ | | LaGrange | Game cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions | Game cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions | Game cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions | Game cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions | Game cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions | Holmes Center Boone, NC |
| December 11, 2020* 5:00 pm, ESPNU | | at Charlotte | W 61–57 | 4–1 | 21 – Delph | 7 – Lewis | 5 – Delph | Halton Arena (73) Charlotte, NC |
| December 15, 2020* 7:00 pm, SECN | | at No. 10 Tennessee | L 38–79 | 4–2 | 9 – Almonacy | 6 – Almonacy | 3 – Almonacy | Thompson–Boling Arena (4,191) Knoxville, TN |
| December 17, 2020* 6:00 pm, ESPN+ | | Greensboro | W 87–47 | 5–2 | 18 – Gregory | 7 – TEAM | 5 – Gregory | Holmes Center (85) Boone, NC |
| December 18, 2020* 4:00 pm, ESPN+ | | Columbia International | W 77–41 | 6–2 | 14 – Delph | 9 – Gregory | 3 – Brown | Holmes Center (85) Boone, NC |
| December 22, 2020* 3:00 pm, SECN | | at Auburn | L 53–67 | 6–3 | 15 – Almonacy | 4 – Parker | 2 – Parker | Auburn Arena (1,824) Auburn, AL |
| Conference Regular season |||||||||
| January 1, 2021 6:00 pm, ESPN+ | | Troy | L 56–69 | 6–4 (0–1) | 16 – Lewis Jr. | 8 – Gregory | 3 – Forrest | Holmes Center (85) Boone, NC |
| January 2, 2021 4:00 pm, ESPN+ | | Troy | W 90–59 | 7–4 (1–1) | 21 – Forrest | 5 – Almonacy | 10 – Almonacy | Holmes Center (85) Boone, NC |
| January 8, 2021 6:00 pm, ESPN+ | | Georgia Southern | W 66–63 | 8–4 (2–1) | 14 – Almonacy | 6 – Gregory | 3 – Forrest | Holmes Center (85) Boone, NC |
| January 9, 2021 4:00 pm, ESPN+ | | Georgia Southern | W 77–71 | 9–4 (3–1) | 19 – Gregory | 11 – Lewis Jr. | 6 – Forrest | Holmes Center (85) Boone, NC |
| January 15, 2021 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | | at South Alabama | L 64–73 | 9–5 (3–2) | 14 – Gregory | 8 – Delph | 4 – Parker | Mitchell Center (871) Mobile, AL |
| January 16, 2021 5:00 pm, ESPN+ | | at South Alabama | W 83–77 | 10–5 (4–2) | 28 – Delph | 6 – Lewis Jr. | 6 – Forrest | Mitchell Center (867) Mobile, AL |
| January 22, 2021 6:00 pm, ESPN+ | | Georgia State | W 80–71 | 11–5 (5–2) | 23 – Forrest | 5 – Lewis Jr. | 4 – Gregory | Holmes Center (85) Boone, NC |
| January 23, 2021 4:00 pm, ESPN+ | | Georgia State | W 74–61 | 12–5 (6–2) | 22 – Lewis Jr. | 14 – Lewis Jr. | 2 – Forrest | Holmes Center (85) Boone, NC |
| January 29, 2021 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | | at Troy | L 62–71 | 12–6 (6–3) | 15 – Gregory | 9 – Lewis Jr. | 2 – Forrest | Trojan Arena (1,189) Troy, AL |
| January 30, 2021 2:00 pm, ESPN+ | | at Troy | L 59–65 | 12–7 (6–4) | 15 – Forrest | 7 – Almonacy | 4 – Forrest | Trojan Arena (1,021) Troy, AL |
| February 5, 2021 6:00 pm, ESPN+ | | at Georgia State | Postponed due to COVID-19 | Postponed due to COVID-19 | Postponed due to COVID-19 | Postponed due to COVID-19 | Postponed due to COVID-19 | GSU Sports Arena Atlanta, GA |
| February 6, 2021 4:00 pm, ESPN+ | | at Georgia State | Postponed due to COVID-19 | Postponed due to COVID-19 | Postponed due to COVID-19 | Postponed due to COVID-19 | Postponed due to COVID-19 | GSU Sports Arena Atlanta, GA |
| February 11, 2021 6:00 pm, ESPN+ | | Coastal Carolina | Canceled due to COVID-19 | Canceled due to COVID-19 | Canceled due to COVID-19 | Canceled due to COVID-19 | Canceled due to COVID-19 | Holmes Center Boone, NC |
| February 13, 2021 3:00 pm, ESPN+ | | at Coastal Carolina | Canceled due to COVID-19 | Canceled due to COVID-19 | Canceled due to COVID-19 | Canceled due to COVID-19 | Canceled due to COVID-19 | HTC Center Conway, SC |
| February 19, 2021 6:00 pm, ESPN+ | | South Alabama | L 63–65 | 12–8 (6–5) | 20 – Forrest | 13 – Gregory | 2 – Almonacy | Holmes Center (85) Boone, NC |
| February 20, 2021 4:00 pm, ESPN+ | | South Alabama | L 54–56 | 12–9 (6–6) | 20 – Forrest | 10 – Lewis Jr. | 3 – Gregory | Holmes Center (85) Boone, NC |
| February 23, 2021 5:00 pm, ESPN+ | | at Georgia State | L 71–85 | 12–10 (6–7) | 24 – Almonacy | 7 – Lewis Jr. | 4 – Forrest | GSU Sports Arena (1,328) Atlanta, GA |
| February 26, 2021 6:00 pm, ESPN+ | | at Georgia Southern | W 84–78 $^{2OT}$ | 13–10 (7–7) | 24 – Forrest | 8 – Delph | 6 – Almonacy | Hanner Fieldhouse Statesboro, GA |
| February 27, 2021 ESPN+ | | at Georgia Southern | L 57–65 | 13–11 (7–8) | 19 – Delph | 8 – Gregory | 2 – Almonacy | Hanner Fieldhouse Statesboro, GA |
| Sun Belt tournament |||||||||
| March 5, 2021 8:30 pm, ESPN+ | (E4) | vs. (W5) Little Rock First round | W 67–60 | 14–11 | 24 – Forrest | 7 – Almonacy | 7 – Almonacy | Hartsell Arena (148) Pensacola, FL |
| March 6, 2021 8:00 pm, ESPN+ | (E4) | vs. (W1) Texas State Quarterfinals | W 76–73 $^{OT}$ | 15–11 | 28 – Forrest | 9 – Gregory | 5 – Gregory | Pensacola Bay Center Pensacola, FL |
| March 7, 2021 9:00 pm, ESPN+ | (E4) | vs. (E2) Coastal Carolina Semifinals | W 64–61 $^{OT}$ | 16–11 | 19 – Tied | 14 – Gregory | 6 – Gregory | Pensacola Bay Center Pensacola, FL |
| March 8, 2021 5:00 pm, ESPN2 | (E4) | vs. (E1) Georgia State Championship | W 80–73 | 17–11 | 32 – Almonacy | 10 – Gregory | 2 – Tied | Pensacola Bay Center Pensacola, FL |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 18, 2021 8:40 pm, truTV | (16 W) | vs. (16 W) Norfolk State First Four | L 53–54 | 17–12 | 18 – Forrest | 11 – Duhart | 4 – Gregory | Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall Bloomington, IN |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. W=West. All times are in Eastern. |||||||||
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