The University of Wisconsin was rolling entering the 2020 postseason, so having its entire postseason canceled was a heavy burden to accept. It was evident that some frustration was brewing under the surface for the past 12 months.

A group that had struggled to find consistency over the past two months from game to game and even half to half, the ninth-seeded Badgers delivered their finest performance of the season in an 85-62 victory over eighth-seed North Carolina in the NCAA tournament first round at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind.

“We talked all week long that, remember, we didn’t have this last year, so let’s embrace it,” head coach Greg Gard said. “Let’s make the most of it. Let’s have fun with it.”

It's hard to say UW didn't have a ball. In a building where it lost 17 days ago and were 4-42 all-time, UW delivered a performance that a veteran team had been searching for mostly all season and now gives a faint glimmer of hope to the outside world that this team still has more left in the tank.

Here are my five takeaways from an unexpected Wisconsin NCAA tournament victory.