ST. LOUIS — Much has changed at Wisconsin since last year’s fun-loving ride to the national title game.

Bo Ryan has retired, the ultra-successful coach replaced by longtime assistant Greg Gard. Player of the year Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker are playing in the NBA. And the expectations that accompanied the Badgers to their second straight Final Four have been ever-so-slightly tempered.

Their own world-beater attitude remains in place.

“I was telling the guys the difference was, last year we wanted to win the national championship. We believed we’d win and the only difference is you guys believed in us too,” said Nigel Hayes, who will lead the seventh-seeded Badgers against No. 10-seed Pittsburgh in the NCAA Tournament on Friday.

“This year, we want to win the national championship. We believe we can,” Hayes said, “and then you guys don’t think you can, which you — that’s fine. Everyone has their opinions.”

There is every reason to believe the Badgers (20-12) can make another deep run.

They were 9-9 at one point this season before rattling off 11 wins in 12 games, beating Michigan State, Indiana and Maryland along the way. Hayes is joined by Bronson Koenig and Vitto Brown, players who were part of that runner-up finish a year ago, to form a veteran starting five. And freshman forward Ethan Happ has evolved into a Kaminsky clone, posting double-double performances with regularity.

Maybe things aren’t so different after all.

“They had to kind of find their own way, so to speak,” said Gard, the interim coach until getting the permanent job a couple weeks ago. “I’m happy for our guys because they did what a lot of people didn’t think possible. And to get to this point they’ve forged their own identity, written their own story.”

The next chapter of which comes against the Panthers (21-11) in the first round.

Jamie Dixon’s program was an NCAA Tournament mainstay before missing out last year, qualifying 10 of the previous 11 seasons. But the Panthers coach acknowledged Thursday there is a different feeling to this trip simply because of the complexion of his team.