Sweet 16: How each team got through in March Madness

Mar 22, 2022, 2:30 AM | Updated: 2:35 pm
Gonzaga guard Andrew Nembhard (3) and forward Drew Timme (2) react with teammates after they beat M...

Gonzaga guard Andrew Nembhard (3) and forward Drew Timme (2) react with teammates after they beat Memphis 82-78 in a second-round NCAA college basketball tournament game, Saturday, March 19, 2022, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)

(AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)

              Michigan's Hunter Dickinson (1), and Eli Brooks (55) celebrate after they defeated Tennessee in a college basketball game in the second round of the NCAA tournament, Saturday, March 19, 2022, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
            
              Villanova's Collin Gillespie (2) tries for three against Ohio State during the second half of a college basketball game in the second round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 20, 2022, in Pittsburgh. Villanova won 71-61 to advance to the Sweet 16. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
            
              Villanova's Collin Gillespie (2) works to get around Ohio State 's Jamari Wheeler (55) during the first half of a college basketball game in the second round of the NCAA tournament in Pittsburgh, Sunday, March 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
            
              North Carolina forward Brady Manek (45) celebrates sinking a 3-point basket in the second half of a second-round game against Baylor in the NCAA college basketball tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, March, 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
            
              Gonzaga guard Andrew Nembhard (3) and forward Drew Timme (2) react with teammates after they beat Memphis 82-78 in a second-round NCAA college basketball tournament game, Saturday, March 19, 2022, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)
            
              Duke's Paolo Banchero (5) hugs head coach Mike Krzyzewski after a win over Michigan State in a college basketball game in the second round of the NCAA tournament Sunday, March 20, 2022, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
            
              Saint Peter's KC Ndefo (11) goes up for a dunk against Murray State's KJ Williams (0) during the first half of a college basketball game in the second round of the NCAA tournament, Saturday, March 19, 2022, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
            
              Iowa State's Tyrese Hunter shoots past LSU's Darius Days during the first half of a first round NCAA college basketball tournament game Friday, March 18, 2022, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

The second week of the NCAA Tournament is when the Sweet 16 gets reduced to the Final Four.

But those aren’t the only numbers to know heading into this week’s regional semifinals and finals.

To get a better understanding of the final 16 teams competing for the national title, here’s at least one statistic worth remembering about each of them (grouped by region):

WEST

GONZAGA: The NCAA Tournament’s top overall seed leads the nation in points per game (87.8), scoring margin (21.8) and field-goal percentage (.526). The Bulldogs rank second in field-goal percentage defense (.379), third in rebound margin (plus-8.7), fifth in assist-turnover ratio (1.6) and sixth in blocks per game (5.9).

ARKANSAS: The Razorbacks lead the nation in free throws made (613) and attempted (808).

TEXAS TECH: The Red Raiders have the nation’s best defensive efficiency rating according to Ken Pomeroy’s metrics. … Texas Tech also has five 1,000-point career scorers in Bryson Williams, Davion Warren, Adonis Arms, Kevin Obanor and Marcus Santos-Silva.

DUKE: Paolo Banchero has collected at least 15 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in each of the first two rounds. The only other Duke players ever to reach all those benchmarks in back-to-back NCAA Tournament games are Danny Ferry (1987-88), Grant Hill (1994) and Jon Scheyer (2010).

EAST

PURDUE: The Boilermakers are 26-0 when scoring at least 70 points this season. When they’re held below 70, they’re only 3-7. They’ve also won each of the last 31 times they’ve led at halftime. They have made 229 more free throws than their opponents, which represents the greatest margin of any Division I team. That includes a 60-13 edge in two NCAA Tournament games.

SAINT PETER’S: The Peacocks have held eight of their last nine opponents below 70 points. That’s thanks in part to KC Ndefo, who has eight blocks in this NCAA Tournament. Ndefo’s 304 career blocks rank second among all Division I players, behind Cincinnati’s Hayden Koval (363).

NORTH CAROLINA: The Tar Heels have the most points per game (94), assists per game (25.5) and 3-pointers per game (12) of any team through the first two rounds. Brady Manek has averaged 27 points through the first two rounds, the most of any player in the Sweet 16. The only other North Carolina players to have at least 26 points in consecutive NCAA Tournament games are Lennie Rosenbluth (1957), Phil Ford (1977), J.R. Reid (1987) and Michael Jordan (1983-84).

UCLA: The Bruins commit just nine turnovers per game, the second-lowest average of any Division I team. They are 24-0 this season in games they lead with five minutes left

SOUTH

ARIZONA: The Wildcats lead the nation with 19.8 assists per game. … They thrive on runs. They’ve scored at least 10 consecutive points in 29 of their 36 games.

HOUSTON: The Cougars lead all Division I teams in field-goal percentage defense. Opponents are shooting just 37.5% against them.

MICHIGAN: This is the Wolverines’ fifth straight trip to the Sweet 16. The only school with a longer active streak of Sweet 16 appearances is Gonzaga with seven. … Hunter Dickinson is averaging 23.4 points over his last five games and has shot 67.2% during that stretch.

VILLANOVA: The Wildcats make 82.6% of their free throws to lead the nation. No other Division I team is shooting over 80% from the line. Villanova’s top seven players in minutes all shoot at least 74.1% from the line, with leading scorer Collin Gillespie at 90.2%.

MIDWEST

KANSAS: The Jayhawks have 2,353 wins in program history to match Kentucky for the most ever. A victory Friday over Providence would put them at the top.

PROVIDENCE: The Friars thrive in games that come down to the final minutes. They are 11-2 in games decided by five points or fewer.

IOWA STATE: The Cyclones have as many wins in this tournament (two) as they had all of last season while going 2-22. … Tyrese Hunter’s first-round performance against LSU enabled him to join Stephen Curry as the only players in NCAA Tournament history to have at least seven 3-pointers and five steals in one game.

MIAMI: The Hurricanes have collected 11 steals per game thus far in the NCAA Tournament. The only team averaging more steals per game through the first two rounds is Iowa State, the team facing Miami in a Friday regional semifinal.

___

More AP coverage of March Madness: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]
23 days ago
Joe Jarzynka...
Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]
23 days ago
FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...
Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]
23 days ago
Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...
Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]
23 days ago
FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...
Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]
23 days ago
FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...
Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]
23 days ago
Sweet 16: How each team got through in March Madness