The University of Kentucky spent more on basketball recruiting last year than any public university in the six biggest conferences in college sports.

Kentucky spent $434,095 in fiscal 2010. The University of Kansas was second with $419,228; and Florida third with $326,306, according to expense reports from 53 schools obtained through open-records requests. Private schools such as Duke University aren’t required to divulge the information.

Kentucky starts three freshman who score 60 percent of the team’s points. Last year, the Wildcats lost four first-year players to the National Basketball Association draft after being eliminated in the regional finals of the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament.

“Kentucky basketball is one of the most important things in our state and we are going to direct resources to ensure that it stays that way,” Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart said in a telephone interview.

Recruiting budgets include accommodations for official visits, scouting, communications and traveling expenses.

Butler used a sound defensive game plan to build a 33-24 lead at halftime, grew that lead to 20 with under 12 minutes to play and survived a frantic last-ditch comeback effort for a 61-54 victory over Wisconsin.

Butler forced eight first-half turnovers, leading to 15 points on the other end during the first 20 minutes of play.

Matt Howard led the way with 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulldogs, giving Wisconsin fits on the 3-point line in the first half by slipping away from a few high-ball screens and knocking down all three of his attempts beyond the arc.

Howard shot 9-of-10 from the free throw line, recorded two steals and stayed out of foul trouble against a Wisconsin offense that failed to attack the inside.

Jordan Taylor’s heady play has the Badgers on the verge of reaching the Elite Eight. Taylor leads the country in assist-to-turnover ratio, and his leadership, on and off the floor, has been invaluable.

"I've learned a lot from the coaching staff, but I think I could say I've learned just as much from Jordan,” teammate Mike Bruesewitz said. “He's constantly talking to guys, constantly telling them what he sees, why he sees it and what's going on and why that happens."

Taylor, who averages 18 points a game, is clear in his goals for the Badgers, something that impressed Ryan when Taylor visited Madison as a high school star from the Minneapolis area.

"When I first met him, (he's) not a very imposing guy, not long and lanky, physically short of stature, vertically challenged, as we say, but his eyes never left mine," Ryan said. "He spoke very clearly, very succinctly."

That cool, unwavering confidence struck a chord with Ryan, who has built Wisconsin's program for the last 10 years on the foundation that it's a super team over superstars.

Eighth-seeded Butler returned three starters -- senior forward Matt Howard, senior guard Shawn Vanzant and junior guard Shelvin Mack -- from a team that took Duke to the final second in the national title game last season.

Howard (16.7 points per game, 7.7 rebounds per game), Mack (15.6, 4.4) and Vanzant (8.9, 5.4) have played in 11 NCAA Tournament games to tie the program record set last season by then-senior guard Willie Veasley.

"They're not an underdog at all," said Wisconsin senior Jon Leuer, who played last summer with Mack on the USA Select Team that practiced against the U.S. team that competed in the World Championships. "They have talent all over their team. I played with Shelvin Mack and know what he is capable of.

"He is definitely one of the best guards, and Matt Howard is one of the best bigs that you're going to face. They have guys that can really fill it up and they're well-coached, too.

"So you mix that talent with good coaching and you're going to be in for a battle."

Wisconsin has the nation’s second most efficient offense while playing at its traditionally slow pace.

Led by star point guard Jordan Taylor, who is one of five Cousy Award finalists (given to the country's best point guard), the Badgers produce 1.19 points per possession and also lead the country in assist-to-turnover ratio.

K-State’s Jacob Pullen will be assigned the task of disrupting Taylor's ability to orchestrate Wisconsin's half-court attack.

"It's going to be real vital to contain him and really try to turn him over and get him to speed up and play our style of basketball, which is an up-and-down pace," Pullen said. "At the end of the day it's not going to just be me. It's going be the team that's got to help contain him. Also get us in transition where we think we can excel at."

Jimmer Fredette of BYU, Jared Sullinger of Ohio State, and Kemba Walker of UConn are among 20 finalists for the John R. Wooden Award as men's college basketball player of the year.

The other finalists are Marshon Brooks (Providence), Alec Burks (Colorado), Norris Cole (Cleveland State), Kenneth Faried (Morehead State), Jordan Hamilton  (Texas), Ben Hansbrough (Notre Dame), Dwight Hardy  (St. John’s), JaJuan Johnson (Purdue), Kawhi Leonard (San Diego State), Jon Leuer (Wisconsin), E’Twaun Moore (Purdue), Marcus Morris (Kansas), Jacob Pullen (Kansas State), Kyle Singler (Duke), Nolan Smith (Duke), Jordan Taylor (Wisconsin), Derrick Williams (Arizona)

Ohio State defeated sixth-seeded Penn State by a final of 72-60 to win the 2011 Big Ten Conference Tournament.

Jared Sullinger was named Tournament MOP.

• Click here to view RealGM’s 2011 NCAA Tournament Page.

Ohio State is the No. 1 overall seed in the 2011 NCAA Tournament and will be placed in the East Region.

Joining the Buckeyes No. 1 seeds is Kansas in the Midwest, Pittsburgh in the Southeast and Duke in the West.

Pitt is the only No. 1 seed to not win their conference tournament, losing to eventual champion Connecticut in the quarterfinals.

San Diego State, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Florida are the No. 2 seeds, while Syracuse, Purdue, Connecticut and BYU are the No. 3 seeds. Kentucky, Louisville, Texas and Wisconsin are the No. 4 seeds.

Kansas and Duke were also No. 1 seeds in the 2010 NCAA Tournament, while Ohio State was a No. 2 and Pitt was a No. 3.

The Final Four will be held in Houston on April 2nd and 4th.

• Click here to view RealGM’s 2011 NCAA Tournament Page.

Duke’s basketball program generated $26.67 million in revenue in 2009-10, according to an analysis of financial data for the 2009-2010 academic year by Forbes.

Louisville came in second with $25.89 million and the University of North Carolina’s $20.55 million was good enough for third place.

Duke, Louisville, and North Carolina are the only schools that generated over $20 million and earned at least 100% more men’s basketball revenue relative to the national average.

Arizona (19.29 m), Syracuse (18.3 m), Wisconsin (17.67 m), Kentucky (16.78 m), Indiana (16.57 m), Ohio State (16.19 m), and Michigan State (16.14 m) rounded out the top ten.

Four days ago, Wisconsin allowed Ohio State to set an NCAA Division I record for three-point percentage in a game (93.3%), with a minimum of 10 attempts, by making 14 of 15 attempts.

However the Badgers entered the day having surrendered a combined 46.3% three-point shooting in its previous four games (31 of 67).

Wisconsin finished 10th in the Big Ten in three-point percentage defense (38.9%).

"Guys have to listen to what the coaches are telling us and we've just got to get tougher," point guard Jordan Taylor said. "Try to make guys do different things."