LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Kentucky's inconsistent play this year has left the Wildcats without a chance to defend their national championship.

There was no at-large NCAA tournament bid for the young Kentucky squad that could not overcome injuries, sporadic guard play and a lack of leadership.

A 16-point loss in Friday's game in the Southeastern Conference tournament against Vanderbilt a few miles from the Commodores' Nashville campus sealed the fate of the Wildcats, who were left out of the 68-team field.

Kentucky did get a No. 1 seed in the National Invitation Tournament.

"I'm really disappointed we didn't make the NCAA tournament, but we are going to use this time to make us better," Wildcats coach John Calipari said Sunday night.

"We had our chances, but I'm not going to stop. It's a great lesson for the future of our program and a humbling experience for me as a coach."

The Wildcats will open on the road at Robert Morris on Tuesday in the 32-team NIT field.

Kentucky athletic department spokesman DeWayne Peevy said the school is not hosting a first-round game because it did not bid on one because of conflicts at Rupp Arena.

"We did not place a bid to host the first round of the NIT due to limited staff availability to properly host a game at Memorial Coliseum," Peevy said in a statement.

"Because the University of Kentucky is hosting the NCAA second- and third-round games at Rupp Arena on March 21 and 23, the facility was not available for a first-round NIT game. We placed a bid to host both the second round and quarterfinal games at Rupp Arena if we advance."

While the NIT gives Kentucky a chance to extend its season, it's a small consolation for a program that began the season No. 3 and with Final Four aspirations.

The Wildcats, the No. 2 seeds in the SEC tournament, also have to be feeling the sting of letting an NCAA berth slip away with a 64-48 loss to 10th-seeded Vanderbilt in Nashville.

Kentucky (21-11) becomes the 20th national champion to miss the tournament the following season, according to STATS.

Despite the belief that they can beat anybody when playing as a team, Kentucky players were left pondering a slew of what-ifs created by their failure to execute consistently.