March Madness 2016: Former Powerhouses Poised for Early NCAA Tournament Exits

In this era of one-and-done players, it's difficult for a program to maintain success in college basketball year after year. It seems every school has its down period—even the ones that have proven to be the class of the sport over the past 10 years.

This year's NCAA tournament landscape looks to be wide open. There's probably six to eight teams that could legitimately challenge for the national championship as March approaches.

That said, there are three teams that would normally be in that mix that aren't this year. All three teams will make the NCAA tournament field but don't expect them to have deep runs.

Wisconsin Badgers

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After qualifying for the last 17 NCAA tournaments, playing in the last two Final Fours and reaching the National Championship game last season, the Wisconsin Badgers are a legitimate college hoops powerhouse.

Earlier this season, their head coach Bo Ryan walked away from the job just 12 games into the season. The Badgers were 7-5 at the time. Greg Gard took over for Ryan and the team has been slightly better as they are 18-10 heading into Sunday's home game against the Michigan Wolverines.

The Badgers have quality wins over the Maryland Terrapins, Michigan State Spartans and most recently they handed the No. 8 Iowa Hawkeyes a loss in Iowa City.

Even with the impressive road win and Wisconsin's other respectable victories, this is still a team prone to scoring droughts. It is devoid of players who can get their own shots off the dribble, and the overall team athleticism is low.

It's Wisconsin, so of course the team defends, but the talent level is decreased from previous years and that will push it out of the tournament in the first or second round.

Duke Blue Devils

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The Duke Blue Devils are trippin'...literally.

Guard Grayson Allen showed a less-than sportsmanlike side to himself for the second time this season when he looked to purposely trip an opposing player on Thursday night, per C.L. Brown of ESPN.com.

Allen could be disciplined for his actions, and that may mean he'll miss a game. The Blue Devils are already short-handed as injuries have forced them to play with just six guys in some games. 

While there's obviously some talent on the roster, the depth just isn't there for Duke this season. There's a possibility the team could get healthier for the NCAA tournament, but guys like Amile Jefferson and Matt Jones may not be 100 percent for the rest of the season.

The Blue Devils are prime candidates for a first-round exit.

Kentucky Wildcats

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Every year, the Kentucky Wildcats clean up with a stellar recruiting class. Most times, their new prospects almost guarantee the team will become a legitimate title contender. 

It hasn't worked out that way this season. Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray have been rock solid in the backcourt (36.1 points and 9.1 assists per game combined), but most of their teammates have been inconsistent.

Prized recruit Skal Labissiere is a perfect example. The 19-year-old Haitian big man has struggled mightily. He's playing just 16 minutes per game and scoring 6.5 points while grabbing 2.5 rebounds.

That's far from the dominant post presence head coach John Calipari and Co. expected to get from the 19-year-old. Per Bleacher Report's C.J. Moore, a candid Calipari blames himself for Labissiere's disappointing play.

"I probably screwed this guy up trying to make him Karl Towns," Calipari said. "He's not Karl Towns. He can't play like Karl Towns. He probably shoots better than Karl Towns. Karl would love hearing that. But he's not Karl. Karl had a nasty beast streak in him. He's averaged more rebounds and points in the NBA than he averaged here."

Whatever the case, the Wildcats don't have the inside presence they need to be a complete team.

That explains their erratic play. To put it plainly, Kentucky is soft as tissue in the middle and is forced to depend too much on its perimeter game to win. Bet on a first or second-round exit for the Cats.