The Badgers will have completed the toughest run for a No. 1 seed since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. They have faced the highest possible seed in all six rounds: No. 16 Coastal Carolina, No. 8 Oregon, No. 4 North Carolina, No. 2 Arizona, overall No. 1 (and undefeated) Kentucky, and now No. 1 Duke. That's never been done.
Using Ken Pomeroy’s ratings, those are teams ranked No. 1 (Kentucky), No. 2 (Arizona), No. 4 (Duke), No. 12 (North Carolina), No. 38 (Oregon) and No. 134 (Coastal Carolina). With Nos. 1, 2 and 4 in succession.
There has been no going through the back door to the brink of history. No benefitting from a bracket collapse. No overmatched underdog wandering in their way.