The Wisconsin Badgers are looking at the Elite 8 field and are astounded that they've beaten nearly all of them during the regular season. As Jon Rothstein would say, that's the 'epitome of brutality.' It only serves as a reminder of how one stupid, no-good, rotten first-round game doomed a deep run. They can clearly hang with this Elite 8 field.
Look at this Elite 8 field: Purdue, Iowa, Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, Duke, Tennessee, and UCONN. Wisconsin has beaten four of those teams this season and five of those teams in the last two seasons (Arizona). But we don't need to think about that fifth one, for now, with NIL teams changing every year. However, the Badgers have beaten half of the Elite 8.
Wisconsin has beaten half of the Elite 8 this season and it's reminder of 'what could have been?'
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Because Illinois and Iowa are playing each other in the Elite 8, Wisconsin will even have at least one Final Four team they can claim they beat. There is even a scenario in which three of the four are teams the Badgers beat. Insane. And it matters for nothing.
For you can't play that game, of "we beat this team, and that team beat this other team, so we are the best." It's just not realistic in sports. But what you can do is go to Wisconsin, which could have been in the Elite 8 in terms of level of competition and the teams represented there.
Yet, they aren't, and that's frustrating. It's a reminder of how terrible this season ended. Wisconsin blew their chance with this roster, with this point guard, with this team. Wisconsin had a shot to be in this Elite 8, and yet, they aren't because they lost the clutch gene when it was needed the most, and let a hot-shooting mid-major sneak up on them and take them out.
Now, we watch these other Big Ten teams in the Elite 8 and think, 'what could have been?'