By: Marques Eversoll

The University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team – in its third Final Four in program history – came within a single point of a National Championship berth. Kentucky freshman Aaron Harrison’s cold-blooded three over Josh Gasser with 5.6 seconds remaining closed the book on arguably Wisconsin’s most successful season in 73 years.

But despite the sting the Badgers and their fans will feel in the near future, this team won’t soon be forgotten.

Wisconsin basketball isn’t Alabama football; the Badgers aren’t measured by National Championships. In time, the 2013-14 Badgers will be remembered as head coach Bo Ryan’s first Final Four team, not the team that lost to Kentucky.

The last time the Badgers made a Final Four came in 1999-2000, an improbable run led by head coach Dick Bennett. As great as that run was – for an excitable then-nine-year-old kid like me – those Badgers were just happy to be there. And they should have been satisfied, considering they were the definition of “underdogs” against Tom Izzo, Mateen Cleaves and the Michigan State juggernaut that went on to win it all in Indianapolis, Ind.

This Badgers team was different; they belonged in the Final Four and were perhaps better than the Kentucky team that advanced. No disrespect to Mike Kelley, Andy Kowske, Jon Bryant and Mark Vershaw, but they weren’t Frank Kaminsky, Sam Dekker, Ben Brust and Josh Gasser. They just weren’t.

Will we look back at this team and wonder what might have been, had they won Saturday and earned a date against Connecticut in the National Championship? Sure. But will we reflect on this season 10 years from now and consider it a disappointment? Heck no.

This season was, without question, one of the best in program history. They won 30 games and proved to the national audience that they belonged on the big stage. And oh by the way, they return four starters next year.

The future is bright for Bucky. Maybe someday, Wisconsin will be judged by National Championships. Only time will tell.