# 2020–21 Cleveland State Vikings men's basketball team

The 2020–21 Cleveland State Vikings men's basketball team represented Cleveland State University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Vikings, led by second-year head coach Dennis Gates, played their home games at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio as members of the Horizon League. They finished the season 19–8, 16–4 in Horizon League play, to finish as regular-season co-champions. They defeated Purdue Fort Wayne, Milwaukee and Oakland to be champions of the Horizon League tournament. They received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament where they lost in the first round to Houston.

## Previous season

The Vikings finished the 2019–20 season 11–21, 7–11 in Horizon League play, to finish in a tie for seventh place. They lost in the first round of the Horizon League tournament to Oakland.

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Regular season ||||||
| December 1, 2020* 7:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | at Toledo | L 61–70 | 0–1 | Savage Arena Toledo, OH |
| December 6, 2020* 2:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | at Ohio | L 46–101 | 0–2 | Convocation Center Athens, OH |
| December 13, 2020* 8:00 p.m., BTN | | at No. 22 Ohio State | L 67–71 | 0–3 | Value City Arena Columbus, OH |
| December 19, 2020 7:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | at Purdue Fort Wayne | W 63–61 | 1–3 (1–0) | Hilliard Gates Sports Center Fort Wayne, IN |
| December 20, 2020 5:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | at Purdue Fort Wayne | W 89–80 | 2–3 (2–0) | Hilliard Gates Sports Center Fort Wayne, IN |
| December 26, 2020 1:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | Youngstown State | W 87–69 | 3–3 (3–0) | Wolstein Center Cleveland, OH |
| December 27, 2020 2:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | Youngstown State | W 81–74 | 4–3 (4–0) | Wolstein Center Cleveland, OH |
| January 1, 2021 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at IUPUI | W 65–62 | 5–3 (5–0) | Indiana Farmers Coliseum Indianapolis, IN |
| January 2, 2021 12:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at IUPUI | W 59–49 | 6–3 (6–0) | Indiana Farmers Coliseum Indianapolis, IN |
| January 8, 2021 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Northern Kentucky | W 58–44 | 7–3 (7–0) | Wolstein Center Cleveland, OH |
| January 9, 2021 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Northern Kentucky | W 74–71 | 8–3 (8–0) | Wolstein Center Cleveland, OH |
| January 15, 2021 7:00 p.m., ESPNU | | at Wright State | W 66-64 | 9–3 (9–0) | Nutter Center Fairborn, OH |
| January 16, 2021 7:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | at Wright State | L 49–85 | 9–4 (9–1) | Nutter Center Fairborn, OH |
| January 22, 2021 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | Milwaukee | W 64–53 | 10–4 (10–1) | Wolstein Center Cleveland, OH |
| January 23, 2021 5:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | Milwaukee | L 80–81 $^{OT}$ | 10–5 (10–2) | Wolstein Center Cleveland, OH |
| January 29, 2021 7:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | Green Bay | W 74–68 | 11–5 (11–2) | Wolstein Center Cleveland, OH |
| January 30, 2021 7:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | Green Bay | W 73–65 | 12–5 (12–2) | Wolstein Center Cleveland, OH |
| February 5, 2021 7:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | at Oakland | W 80–72 | 13–5 (13–2) | Athletics Center O'rena Auburn Hills, MI |
| February 6, 2021 5:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | at Oakland | W 80–72 | 14–5 (14–2) | Athletics Center O'rena Auburn Hills, MI |
| February 12, 2021 7:00 p.m., ESPNU | | Detroit Mercy | L 83–89 | 14–6 (14–3) | Wolstein Center Cleveland, OH |
| February 13, 2021 7:00 p.m., ESPNU | | Detroit Mercy | W 71–64 | 15–6 (15–3) | Wolstein Center Cleveland, OH |
| February 19, 2021 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Purdue Fort Wayne | L 68–75 | 15–7 (15–4) | Hilliard Gates Sports Center Fort Wayne, IN |
| February 20, 2021 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Purdue Fort Wayne | W 67–55 | 16–7 (16–4) | Hilliard Gates Sports Center Fort Wayne, IN |
| Horizon League tournament ||||||
| March 2, 2021 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | (1) | (10) Purdue Fort Wayne Quarterfinals | W 108–104 $^{3OT}$ | 17–7 | Wolstein Center Cleveland, OH |
| March 8, 2021 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ | (1) | vs. (8) Milwaukee Semifinals | W 71–65 | 18–7 | Indiana Farmers Coliseum Indianapolis, IN |
| March 9, 2021 7:00 p.m., ESPN | (1) | vs. (3) Oakland Championship | W 80–69 | 19–7 | Indiana Farmers Coliseum Indianapolis, IN |
| NCAA tournament ||||||
| March 19, 2021 7:15 p.m., truTV | (15 MW) | vs. (2 MW) No. 6 Houston First round | L 56–87 | 19–8 | Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall Bloomington, IN |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern. ||||||
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