Where the BYU loss ranks among the Wisconsin Badgers' most crushing losses since Fall 2017

Wisconsin basketball's 2024-25 season came to a disappointing close with a 91-89 loss to BYU in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night.

The loss concluded an impressive season for Greg Gard's program. After the team was picked to finish 12th in the preseason Big Ten media poll, any NCAA Tournament appearance would have been considered a success. Remember, Wisconsin lost stars Chucky Hepburn and A.J. Storr to the transfer portal after the 2023-24 season. That significant roster turnover led to tempered expectations, where the 2024-25 campaign was collectively viewed as a reset year.

What followed: Wisconsin started the season 8-0 with major wins over Arizona and Pittsburgh. Transfer wing John Tonje quickly burst onto the scene as one of the top players in the sport, helping to alter the team's season-long outlook. While rough patches followed, Wisconsin finished the regular season 23-8 overall and 13-7 in Big Ten play. It was just a few late-game scenarios away from contending with Michigan State for the conference title.

The Badgers experienced their resurgence due to Tonje's brilliance, the emergence of sophomore guard John Blackwell and a revamped offensive attack. Wisconsin finished the year with a fringe-to-10 offense, according to KenPom. The metric also held the Badgers within the nation's top 15 for most of the year.

Saturday's loss to BYU was tough to stomach, given the circumstances. Wisconsin had one of its best overall seasons under Greg Gard, yet still suffered the same postseason fate, albeit to a really good team.

The in-game context doesn't aid that outlook. Wisconsin was far from its best for the first 38 minutes and trailed 89-78 with 2:34 left after an Egor Demin three-pointer. The team then executed an 11-2 run, pulling within two points with 1:00 left to play. The comeback fell just a few feet short, however, as Tonje missed a game-tying look at the buzzer.

The 'what-ifs' after the game were plentiful. What if Wisconsin didn't hand away three points at the end of the first half? What if BYU, a poor free-throw-shooting team, didn't go 15-of-16 from the line? What if Tonje pulled up for a game-winning three? All are hypotheticals. Since BYU finished the game with an advantage on the scoreboard, it will now play No. 2-seed Alabama in the Sweet 16 on Thursday.

There is plenty of postgame work for those looking to unpack why another Wisconsin basketball season ended in a disappointing first-weekend, including instant reaction, postgame takeaways, Greg Gard's postgame comments, Gard on Tonje's final shot, BYU coach Kevin Young's comments and more player reaction.

Now, since the postgame feeling after the BYU game is all too common for Badger sports fans, it's time to broaden the scope. Here is an in-depth look at how the result compares to Wisconsin football and men's basketball's most crushing defeats since 2017.

(Note: Basketball's Sweet 16 loss to Florida, finished by the Chris Chiozza buzzer-beater, happened in March 2017. This list considers seasons that began after August of that year)

10. 2021 NCAA Tournament vs. Baylor

Wisconsin's season-ending loss to Baylor in 2021 is more about the aftermath of 2020. The Brad Davison, D'Mitrik Trice, Micah Potter, Aleem Ford and Nate Reuvers core won eight straight games to close that 2020 season, capturing the Big Ten regular-season title. The NCAA Tournament was then canceled due to COVID-19.

The team wasn't as good in 2021, going just 18-13 overall and 10-10 in Big Ten play. It defeated North Carolina in the round of 64 before falling to Baylor, the eventual national champion, in the round of 32.

9. 2022 vs. 9-21 Nebraska to share the Big Ten regular-season title

This loss is mostly forgotten about in the grand scheme of the last five years of Wisconsin basketball. Since the 2021-22 Badgers finished their season with an even more disappointing defeat, one included on this list, many overlook what occurred during the regular-season finale.

Wisconsin had just defeated Purdue on Chucky Hepburn's buzzer-beater to clinch a share of the Big Ten title. All it needed for the outright crown was a home win over 9-21 Nebraska, a team that was 3-14 in its last 17 games.

Instead of coasting to a victory in front of the home fans on senior day, the Badgers lost. As a result, they were forced to share the title. Furthermore, adding injury to insult, star wing Johnny Davis left the game with an ankle sprain, an ailment that severely impacted the team's chances in March.

In hindsight, this game might deserve a higher place on the list.

8. 2022 vs. Illinois, plus Paul Chryst's firing

Some of these games shouldn't require much explanation. Wisconsin lost 34-10 to Bret Bielema and Illinois on Oct. 1, 2022, to fall to 1-3 on the season. Paul Chryst was fired the next day.

This game represents the overall decline of the Chryst era after its peak from 2017-19. Given that the program is just 12-13 in two years under Luke Fickell, it's hard not to look back and give this game added significance. Wisconsin had lost to Washington State and Cam Ward (this year's likely No. 1 overall draft pick), to the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes and then to Illinois, which fielded a defense littered with NFL talent. Had Wisconsin weathered that storm and beaten what was proven to be a top-25 Illinois team, maybe the last few years play out differently.

7. 2024 NCAA Tournament vs. James Madison

The 2023-24 Badgers had the look of a national title contender when they rose to No. 6 in the AP Poll in late January. The team was 16-4 after a home win over Michigan State. It then lost seven of its next nine, plus eight of 11 overall to close the season. While a run to the Big Ten Tournament title game signaled a possible resurgence, the team fell to No. 12-seed James Madison in the round of 64.

A.J. Storr and Chucky Hepburn transferred out after the tournament loss. Had the team regressed in 2024-25, this game would be viewed a bit differently. Still, the 2023-24 Badgers were much better than the team that showed up against James Madison.

6. 2022 NCAA Tournament vs. Iowa State

This result felt inevitable with both Johnny Davis and Chucky Hepburn battling significant lower-body injuries. They each played against Iowa State, though both were far from 100%.

This game was a crushing end to a fantastic season. Iowa State's status as a No. 11 seed didn't help the immediate postgame reaction.

5. 2021 at Minnesota

The 2021 Wisconsin Badgers were much better than their final 9-4 record indicates. The team had the best defense in program history, allowing only 16.2 points and 239.7 yards per game. It started 1-3 against some of the top teams in the sport (Michigan, Penn State, Notre Dame), games it would have won with the slightest hint of offensive success.

Then true freshman running back Braelon Allen emerged. He helped lead the team to a seven-game winning streak. The Badgers were 8-3 and ranked No. 18 in the country, set to finish with a trip to Minnesota with the Big Ten West on the line. Looking back, this was Wisconsin's last great chance at playing for a Big Ten title.

The Badgers laid a complete egg against the Gophers. A Scott Nelson pick-six was the team's only touchdown of the game. It fell 23-13, allowing Iowa to play for the Big Ten title (the Hawkeyes lost to Michigan 42-3).

The 2021 Badgers would have given Michigan a good run in the conference title game. The team was night and day better than the one that started 1-3. Like many results from 2021 and the start of 2022, this game turning into a win may have changed Chris McIntosh's decision to fire Chryst the following October.

4. 2020 Rose Bowl

Any Rose Bowl loss belongs high on a list like this one. The 2020 game was especially tough, as the Badgers handed away four turnovers, allowed Justin Herbert to run for three touchdowns and, famously, lost on a questionable offensive pass interference call on wide receiver Danny Davis.

The 2019 Badgers are arguably Paul Chryst's best team during his tenure. That season deserved to end with a Rose Bowl victory.

3. Saturday vs. BYU

Saturday's loss jumps near the top of the list. That is due to the circumstances outlined above. The team was good enough to make a deep run, mostly due to Gard's terrific work in coaching, recruiting and player development. While the road ahead was tough, the Badgers finding a win over BYU could have realistically ignited a Final Four run.

John Tonje also delivered an all-time performance in the game itself. He probably scores that last basket six times out of 10. Unfortunately, Saturday was one of the four.

2. 2019 Big Ten Championship

These final two shouldn't need any explanation. Wisconsin led Ohio State 21-7 at halftime in the Big Ten title game after heroics from Jonathan Taylor, Jack Coan and Quintez Cephus. The Badger defense was also pitching a near shutout against one of the best offenses in the country.

Things changed after the half. Ohio State scored 27 straight points, while Wisconsin ended its first five second-half drives with the following: fumbled punt, missed field goal, punt, punt, turnover on downs.

Again, that 2019 team may have been Paul Chryst's best, led by an all-time great in Jonathan Taylor. This loss to Ohio State preceded the Rose Bowl loss to Oregon, 4-3 COVID season and rapid decline of the Chryst era.

1. 2017 Big Ten Championship

Wisconsin was 12-0 entering the Big Ten title game. With a win, the team would've made its first College Football Playoff appearance.

The team battled with the Urban Meyer-led Buckeyes throughout. Thanks to big plays, including an Andrew Van Ginkel pick-six off J.T. Barrett, Wisconsin began a final drive on its own 29-yard-line, down 27-21 with 2:53 left. It drove to the Ohio State 43-yard-line, where it had 1st-and-10 with 1:28 left.

What followed: a holding penalty, a 1st-and-20 incompletion, a 2nd-and-20 incompletion, a 3rd-and-20 incompletion and a 4th-and-20 interception. Wisconsin was one drive away from a CFP appearance, but came up just short.

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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball, NCAA Tournament, football worst loss ranking