1981 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament

1981 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament
Classification	Division I
Season	1980–81
Teams	8
Site	Campus sites
Finals site	Levitt Arena Wichita, Kansas
Champions	Creighton (2nd title)
Winning coach	Tom Apke (2nd title)
Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournaments

1980–81 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings

	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		PCT			W		L		PCT
Wichita State	12	–	4		.750			26	–	7		.788
Creighton †	11	–	5		.688			21	–	9		.700
Tulsa	11	–	5		.688			26	–	7		.788
Drake	10	–	6		.625			18	–	11		.621
Bradley	10	–	6		.625			18	–	9		.667
New Mexico State	7	–	9		.438			10	–	17		.370
West Texas State	7	–	9		.438			16	–	11		.593
Indiana State	4	–	12		.250			9	–	18		.333
Southern Illinois	0	–	16		.000			7	–	20		.259
† 1981 MVC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll

The 1981 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament was played after the conclusion of the 1980–1981 regular season. The quarterfinal and semifinal rounds were played at campus sites, with the final contested at Levitt Arena on the campus of Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas.

The Creighton Bluejays defeated the Wichita State Shockers in the championship game, 70–64, and as a result won their 2nd MVC Tournament title and earned an automatic bid to the 1981 NCAA tournament.

Bracket

	Quarterfinals March 5, 1981 Campus Sites					Semifinals March 6, 1981 Campus Sites					Final March 7, 1981 Levitt Arena
	1	Wichita State *	77
	8	Southern Illinois	57
						1	Wichita State *	88
						4	Drake	74
	4	Drake *	89
	5	Bradley	84
											1	Wichita State *	64
											2	Creighton	70
	2	Creighton *	64
	7	Indiana State	61
						2	Creighton *	66
						3	Tulsa	64
	3	Tulsa *	68
	6	New Mexico State	67

Note: * indicates host institution