Two weeks ago, Joe Lunardi listed Kentucky as the first team out of his 68-team Bracketology. Today, he doesn’t even have Kentucky in his 80-team hypothetical.
In addition to his standard 68-team projections, Lunardi will publish 48-team, 16-team, and 80-team versions each month this season to cover every scenario for the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Following Kentucky’s sixth straight loss, Lunardi does not believe the Cats will make the tournament should the NCAA expand the field to 80, nor does he have Kentucky listed among the “First Four Out” or “Next Four Out.” So, even if you take out Arizona, which just imposed a post-season ban, Kentucky is, at best, the 88th team in America in terms of tournament resume.