INDIANAPOLIS — It was here, finally, after 364 days — long enough for Kentucky to reload and to rewrite history and for Wisconsin to reconcile its paralyzing defeat on this stage a year ago, or at least come close.

It was not easy. Months dripped by. The Badgers eyed the Wildcats warily — they looked unstoppable at times, as everyone else in the country seemed to think. And then there were those crystalline moments when, just maybe, they looked like a team that Wisconsin had figured out.

Yes, the Wildcats were undefeated: 38-0 entering Saturday’s Final Four rematch at Lucas Oil Stadium, the well-earned favorites to win a ninth national title. But if you thought Wisconsin was going to be intimidated, was going to quake before Kentucky’s mountainous frontcourt and its N.B.A.-quick guards, oh, boy, were you wrong.