What if Rienk Mast didn't get sick before Nebraska took on Michigan? What if they could have hit at least one bucket over the final 3:30 of the game? What if Pryce Sandfort was 6-for-16 from beyond the arc instead of 5-for-16? What if Michigan didn't shoot 19 more free throws? The answer to all those questions is likely that the Huskers are 21-0 and looking at a shockingly clear path to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
Of course, even with the Tuesday night loss to one of the best teams in the country, NU continued to show this season isn't a fluke. This isn't a team that managed to surprise everyone and pull off upsets. It's one of the best teams in the country.
Nebraska showed that even without Rienk Mast and Braden Frager, it could hang with a Wolverines team that started the season looking like a juggernaut. A team that still boasts one loss all year.
Shorthanded Nebraska suffers 'what if' loss to Michigan
There's bound to be some pain after the Huskers' first loss of the season. They led for most of the game and, indeed, were suddenly totally unable to score in the final 3:30 of the game. No shots from the field, no free throws, nothing.
That drought helped No. 3 Michigan hold onto a 75-72 victory over No. 5 Nebraska. Even with that scoreless run, there was one more "what if" before the game ended. What if Jamarques Lawrence could drain one more three-point attempt to send the game to overtime?
Nebraska fans can spend the next few days wondering about all the what-ifs. The discrepancy in fouls and free-throw attempts is going to bug everyone, rightfully. The Huskers themselves have to get ready for another slugfest against one of the best teams in the Big Ten on Sunday when they host Illinois.
In the meantime, Nebraska continued to show that this team can be a competitor on the biggest stage. The key now is that the team shakes the loss off and gets back to being an unstoppable behemoth.