It's an unwritten rule in Big Blue Nation that anything short of a national championship makes for a disappointing year. But even in a season when Kentucky showed plenty of flaws along the way, being knocked out of the NCAA tournament during the first weekend doesn't make the pain any less difficult to digest.
The Wildcats (27-9) made their earliest tourney exit in a season that included an NCAA bid since 2008, as rival Indiana sent them packing in Saturday's second round. All five of coach John Calipari's previous tournament entrants made it to at least the Elite Eight, with four Final Four appearances along with the 2012 national title.