Kentucky Loses to Robert Morris in First Round of NIT

It was bad enough when the Kentucky Wildcats lost their star player. It was even worse when they were left out of the NCAA tournament and relegated to the NIT. For defending national champions it likes getting kicked where it hurts and being told you have to smile about it.

Could it get any worse for a team that is accustomed to being in the running for the national championship? The answer is yes.



Mike McFadden hit a pair of free throws with less than nine seconds on the clock to put Robert Morris ahead 59-57, and put an end to a frustrating season for John Calipari and the Kentucky faithful.

''This is humbling,'' Calipari said. ''They think we're supposed to win 30 a year, 35 a year, go to the Final Four, win a national title.''

The season was never quite what the Wildcats had envisioned for themselves or what the fans had come to expect under Calipari, but the team had lost its starting five to the NBA draft. With the top recruit in the nation in Nerlens Noel there was hope.

That hope never quite materialized and disappeared completely when Noel went down with a season ending injury. Now after getting bounced out of the consolation tournament the Wildcats will have to watch from home like everyone else.