Indeed, when Koenig emerged from a deep shooting slump in the second half and found vindication by drilling two 3s in the final 11.7 seconds, the Badgers finally had the big-time upset that had eluded them in the tournament.

“It’s special,” said guard Zak Showalter, who drew a charge from Xavier’s Edmond Sumner in between Koenig’s bombs. “But I think we believed. Before the game, we were all talking and we believed that we could beat this team. We thought what we were going to do on the court really was going to help us against this team and hopefully slow them down a little bit. What did they get, 63? So we held them under their average. That’s what we’re trying to do every game, just put us in position to win at the end of games and put Bronson in position to hit shots like that.”

UW coach Greg Gard, who replaced Ryan in December, played the end game perfectly. After Showalter drew the charge with 4.3 seconds left, Gard had the Badgers quickly advance the ball to halfcourt, where he took a timeout with 2.0 seconds left. Then he drew up a play that freed up Koenig for the game-winning dagger over a defender from the right corner.

That finish had the Badgers answering questions about their best moments in a three-season stretch during which UW twice went to Final Fours and now has reached the Sweet 16.