1980–81 BYU Cougars men's basketball team
The 1980–81 BYU Cougars men's basketball team represented Brigham Young University in the 1980–81 college basketball season. This was head coach Frank Arnold's sixth season at BYU. The Cougars played their home games at the Marriott Center and reached the Elite Eight, where they fell to Virginia.
Roster
Source| # | Name | Height | Weight | Position | Hometown |
| 21 | Craig Christensen | 6'4" | 185 | G | Salt Lake City, Utah, United States |
| 21 | Mike Maxwell | 6'1" | 160 | G | Salt Lake City, Utah, United States |
| 22 | Danny Ainge | 6'5" | 188 | G | Eugene, Oregon, United States |
| 23 | Steve Craig | 6'3" | 180 | G | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| 23 | Richie Webb | 6'5" | 180 | G | Idaho Falls, Idaho, United States |
| 24 | Greg Ballif | 6'3" | 190 | G | Provo, Utah, United States |
| 25 | Dave Challis | 6'4" | 170 | G | Walnut Creek, California, United States |
| 31 | John Bartholomew | 6'6" | 195 | F | Raleigh, North Carolina, United States |
| 32 | Keith Rice | 6'5" | 200 | F | Portland, Oregon, United States |
| 33 | Timo Saarelainen | 6'6" | 200 | F | Helsinki, Finland |
| 34 | Fred Roberts | 6'10" | 220 | F | Riverton, Utah, United States |
| 42 | Gary Furniss | 6'8" | 215 | F | Driggs, Idaho, United States |
| 44 | Steve Trumbo | 6'8" | 223 | F | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| 50 | Greg Kite | 6'11" | 250 | C | Houston, Texas, United States |
| 52 | Dave McGuire | 7'0" | 225 | C | West Covina, California, United States |
Schedule and results
!colspan=9 style=| Regular Season!colspan=9 style=| NCAA Tournament
Rankings
Awards and honors
- Danny Ainge - WAC Player of the Year
NBA Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | NBA Club |
| 2 | 31 | Danny Ainge | Boston Celtics |