There will be no dancing for either the Duke Blue Devils or Kentucky Wildcats this March, as the selection committee left the two programs out of the NCAA Tournament field. While it had been assumed for most of the year that the Wildcats would fail to qualify for an at-large bid given their paltry 9-16 record, the Blue Devils had hoped to secure an automatic qualification by winning the ACC Tournament. However, once the program was forced to withdraw from the proceedings in Greensboro, North Carolina, due to a positive Covid-19 test by one of its players, Duke's chances at playing in the field of 68 dwindled significantly and March Madness will be without these two squads.
For the first time since 1976, neither Kentucky nor Duke will be participating in March Madness.
Duke and Kentucky are not in the NCAA Tournament this year.
The last time they both missed the Tournament in the same year was 1976 😳 pic.twitter.com/1SR6UYzz8o
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 14, 2021
The failure to qualify for an at-large bid for either program also means that both team's seasons have officially come to an end. While Kentucky will almost certainly fail to receive an invitation to the NIT Tournament as a result of their sub .500 record, Duke is expected to turn down a potential bid because of the hesitancy to continue their season with the pandemic still ongoing.
In fact, it is not clear if the Blue Devils would have accepted an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament itself, following the team's exposure to Covid-19. Shortly after the program withdrew from the ACC Tournament, athletic director Kevin White issued a statement in which he stated that the university would officially end its 2020-2021 season and wished other teams well “in the weeks ahead”.
With their respective eliminations, both programs will now focus their efforts on rebounding next season. Currently, observers project both clubs to be in contention for a return to the tournament, owing not only to strong recruiting classes but, in the case of Kentucky, a more seasoned roster.
While they may not have boasted the same talent level that they once did, March just won't be the same without Kentucky and Duke.
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