Great run, sad end

“Make ‘em believe” was the slogan that kept Badgers fans going all season, even into the final seconds of a hard-fought NCAA championship that ended with a 68-63 loss to Duke.

Chris Webb, a Badger fan from Minneapolis who came to Madison Monday to watch the game with friends, said the loss would not define this team. “I think you look at the whole body of work, where they came from and where they are now,” he said. “It came down to the last couple minutes and it could have gone either way.” Jeff Bailitz, a UW alum, said the Blue Devils were able to execute better down the stretch. “This is still the greatest team in UW history,” Bailitz said. “They’ve gone to back-to-back Final Fours. They just lost to a more fundamentally sound team tonight.”

Fans had gathered along State Street and in both Wisconsin unions beginning in the early afternoon, hoping to see a repeat of the 1941 Badger basketball victory. Union staff opened extra rooms in both venues to accommodate the crowds.

Inside the Varsity Theater at Union South, 1,100 people erupted each time the Badgers scored.

Nine-year-old Jamison Allen of Dodgeville summed it up nicely. “They’re very supportive,” he said.

UW alums Matt and Meggan Allen, Jamison’s parents, brought him and his sister, 5-year-old Mallory, to campus so they could see the enthusiasm first-hand.

“We wanted to give them the Badger experience,” Meggan said. “This is the best place to be.”

There were also longtime fans like Robert and Jeanne Bell of Fort Atkinson, who met on campus when they were students in 1961 and have held season tickets for 40 years. Robert’s father was a UW grad, and the couple’s sons are graduates of UW Medical School.

“Our Badger roots run deep, “ Robert said.

The Bells had a choice spot in the Sett balcony. They said they arrived at Union South at 1:30 p.m. to secure an unobstructed view.

“We enjoy the student atmosphere and excitement,” Jeanne said.

Having seen many Wisconsin teams, Robert said something stands out about this current crop of Badgers: “The chemistry they have. They’re like family.”

Senior student Ben Wortmann of Detroit was hard to miss in the overflow crowd, decked out in white pants with red socks and shoes, a red vest over a red and white checked shirt and a red bowtie with white stripes. He said he has worn the outfit to every home game this season.

“I built it over time. I got the pants and socks as a freshman, and then my grandma gave me the vest and bowtie,” he said.

Even though his grandmother attended college on the East Coast and his parents are Indiana alums, Wortmann said his fandom has turned his family into Bucky lovers, including his grandmother.

“She loves it. She DVRs every game.”