March Madness has hit peak excitement! The recent showdown between the Wisconsin Badgers and BYU was an absolute thriller, but it ended in heartbreak for Wisconsin fans. Despite a strong second-half push, the Badgers fell just short, losing 91-89 in a nail-biter. As the final buzzer sounded, BYU alum and Baltimore Ravens star Kyle Van Noy wasted no time sending a message to JJ Watt, a Wisconsin native with ties to the Badgers basketball program.

Kyle Van Noy, a proud BYU supporter, took to social media to celebrate the win, posting: “We just wanted it more today! @JJWatt @BarstoolBigCat.” With this crushing loss, the Badgers’ championship dreams came to an abrupt end in the elimination round of the March Madness tournament. Their early struggles in the first 20 minutes proved costly, sealing their fate in a game that will sting for a long time. When the game got close, it was those three words that made the difference – “wanted it more”, as it often does in the world of sport.

Van Noy is no stranger to the hunger and desire to win. It is that drive that has led him to two Super Bowl Championships and another appearance as well. Having played alongside the likes of Tom Brady, there are few equipped to understand the difference that “wanting” to win more than one’s opponents can make on the outcome of a game between evenly matched teams. If it comes with the bonus of ribbing a friend, like Van Noy got to relish with JJ Watt, all the better!

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The hunger that JJ Watt demonstrated in his pro career didn’t come through in his dear Wisconsin team today. As a fun exercise, if we compare both players’ NFL stats, JJ Watt has the upper hand with 114.5 sacks and 448 solo tackles, compared to Kyle Van Noy’s 363 solo tackles and only 55 sacks. But in basketball? Van Noy’s team has outshined JJ’s favorite Badgers and given the current Ravens star bragging rights for the moment. And with today’s win, BYU has once again proven that they always want more.

JJ Watt’s Wisconsin Badgers lost to BYU in a nail-biter 

It’s absolutely heart-rending to see your team falling short yet again at the most crucial stage of the March Madness tournament. Year after year, the hopes are high, and the excitement is real, but the heartbreak hits just as hard. Since 2017, JJ Watt’s beloved Wisconsin Badgers have struggled to even crack the Sweet Sixteen, leaving fans in a state of constant disappointment. And the most gut-wrenching part? Apart from their runner-up finish in 2015, the Badgers haven’t tasted NCAA Championship glory since way back in 1941—a drought so long it feels like ancient history.

In today’s game, John Tonje played hard for the Badgers. But lightning speed couldn’t grab a win. Though Tonje scored 37 points in the game with 33% from the three-point line and 55% from the field, they still fell agonizingly short. Actually, JJ Watt’s favorite team was on the verge of winning the game when Dawson Baker of BYU picked up a foul which gave the Wisconsin team the ball and two points. 

But even that wasn’t enough to close the gap. They still came up short, falling by just two heartbreaking points right at the buzzer. And now? JJ Watt’s team is left with nothing but disappointment as they shift their focus to the offseason and re-working their roster. Another golden opportunity slipped right through their fingers—just like so many times before. Well, Badgers, you’ve just gotta want it more!