UK projected to miss the NIT Tournament

At 5-12, it’s a foregone conclusion that without an SEC Tournament title, the Kentucky Wildcats will miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013.

But at seven games under .500 with less than 10 games to play, the NIT may also be a long shot for UK.

Dratings.com, who have projected brackets for both the NCAA Tournament and NIT has Kentucky outside of both tournaments in their latest brackets. The same is true at Barking Crow.

Notable teams projected to make the NIT include Georgia, who defeated UK at the buzzer in January. Also making it were Mississippi State, who UK defeated in overtime in their SEC opener, Ole Miss who is 10-8 and defeated a Tennessee team that beat UK by 11, and UMASS, which of course was the home of John Calipari’s first college head coaching job and last place he coached a team that was as bad as the current Kentucky team.

If this prediction holds true, it will be the first time UK has missed both the NCAA Tournament and NIT, not due to a scandal that made them ineligible, since the 1988-89 season.

Unless UK goes on a magical run, expect the season to come to an end if the Cats are sent home from Nashville.