P12 Arizona Arizona St Basketball

Arizona center Oumar Ballo (11) reacts as the team leads against Arizona State during the second half of their Pac-12 Tournament semifinal matchup on Friday, March 10, 2023, in Las Vegas.

One bracket, one region, 16 spectacular numbers. In some cases, we’re talking prime-time players with figures that jump off the screen, players like Arizona’s Azuolas Tubelis, the first to lead the Pac-12 in scoring and rebounding since 2006. Then there are superlative teams like Alabama, which ranks among the top squads in myriad categories.

Here is a breakdown of the biggest numbers in the men's NCAA Tournament South Regional, which features Arizona as the No. 2 seed.

1. Alabama

One big number: 37.72

The Crimson Tide have put the clamps on opposing offenses, allowing an opposing field-goal percentage of 37.72. And it's not as if we're talking about small volume: Of the 50 best teams against opposing offenses, they're one of eight that has faced more than 2,000 attempts. The Tide also lead the country in rebounding and rank seventh in rebounding margin.

2. Arizona

One big number: 49.58

With one of the best inside games in college hoops and perhaps the premier post pair in the country in Azuolas Tubelis and Oumar Ballo, the Wildcats are shooting 49.58% from the field, fifth best in the nation. Ballo and Tubelis rank third and fifth in the Pac-12 in shooting percentage at 64.9% and 57.5%, respectively.

Baylor guard LJ Cryer, right, shoots as Oklahoma State forward Moussa Cisse defends in the second half of their game, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, in Stillwater, Okla.

3. Baylor

One big number: 42.61

After getting scarce playing time as a freshman two years ago, Bears junior LJ Cryer has been a steady and sometimes spectacular contributor last year and this, though his 3-point shooting took a slight step back this year. Cryer is still the Big 12's most prolific 3-point shooter on a per-game bases, and his percentage (42.61) ranks first among qualifiers. Last year he shot 46.8% from deep.

4. Virginia

One big number: 8.6

The Cavaliers lead the country in fewest turnovers per game at 8.6 and assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.85 behind a backcourt that includes two of the best ballhandlers and passers in the country. Guards Kihei Clark and Reece Beekman combine for 10.7 assists and 3.5 turnovers per game. Clark has nine games with seven or more assists and two or fewer turnovers.

5. San Diego State

One big number: 29.8

In addition to leading the Mountain West in opposing scoring average, allowing only 63.6 points per game, the Aztecs are particularly energetic around the 3-point line, where they are holding opponents to only 29.3% shooting. That mark leads the Mountain West and ranks ninth nationally.

Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner (11) goes up for a shot against Villanova's Eric Dixon (43) during the first half of their game, Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, in Philadelphia.

6. Creighton

One big number: 71.4

For two years, Creighton big man Ryan Kalkbrenner has been one of the most efficient low-post scorers in the Big East, but he improved drastically this year. Forget the 15.4 points per game and 6.1 rebounds — that is impressive enough. But Kalkbrenner's shooting has been off the charts this year: He leads the nation in field-goal percentage at 71.4%.

7. Missouri

One big number: 5.9

The Tigers have one of the most aggressive defenses in the country, leading the nation in turnover margin at plus-5.9 as well as ranking eighth in turnovers forced at 17.21 per game. This is a drastic improvement from last year when they were minus-2.2 in turnover margin.

8. Maryland

One big number: 16.5

Former Charlotte star Jahmir Young continued his elite collegiate production. He averages 16.5 points per game for his career, which ranks 12th among active NCAA players. He's within range of 2,000 career points.

9. West Virginia

One big number: 82.1

Memo to opposing coaches: You don't want to send the Mountaineers' Kedrian Johnson to the line. He's the Big 12's third-most prolific free-throw shooter and its fourth-most accurate, coming in at 82.1% (133 of 162).

Utah State guard Steven Ashworth, right, dives for the ball in front of San Diego State guard Micah Parrish during the second half of their game for the men's Mountain West Tournament championship Saturday, March 11, 2023, in Las Vegas.

10. Utah State

One big number: 16.3

Not only is Steven Ashworth the Aggies' top scorer at 16.3 points per game, he is supremely accurate from deep. He leads the Mountain West in 3-pointers per game at 3.2 and leads the league and ranks sixth nationally with a 44.3% 3-point percentage. He also leads the conference in free-throw shooting at 87.8%.

11. North Carolina State

One big number: 3.8

In an 84-60 win over then-No. 16 Duke near the start of ACC play, NC State's best attribute was in full effect. The Wolfpack forced 21 turnovers while turning it over just six times themselves. That's a big reason they rank 16th nationally in turnover margin at plus-3.8.

12. Charleston

One big number: 32.53

One thing that can lead to an easy upset in March Madness is terrific bench play, and the No. 5-seeded Aztecs better be on the lookout against the country's fourth-most productive bench roster. The Cougars get 32.53 points per game from their bench, including regular double-digit games from forward Ben Burnham and guard Pat Robinson III.

13. Furman

One big number: 17.1

Furman leads the Southern Conference in a half-dozen categories, but the Paladins' assist numbers really stand out. They lead the league and rank eighth nationally with 17.1 assists per game, and they rank 10th in assist/turnover ratio at 1.53.

UC Santa Barbara guard Ajay Mitchell, right drives past Cal State Fullerton forward Lathaniel Bastian during the second half of their game for the men's Big West Tournament championship Saturday, March 11, 2023, in Henderson, Nev.

14. UC Santa Barbara

One big number: 5.1

The Gauchos have three streaks of five or more wins and a second Big West title in three years with conference player of the year Ajay Mitchell leading the way. His 16.4 points per game on 50.9% shooting ranked among the best in the league. But his 5.1 assists per game is most impressive.

15. Princeton

One big number: 39.3

The Tigers have the fifth- and sixth-ranked rebounders in the Ivy League, with Caden Pierce and Tosan Evbuomwan combining for 13.3 boards per game. That's the main reason Princeton leads the league in rebounding at 39.3 per game.

16. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

One big number: 9.7

With 13 double-doubles Islanders senior forward Isaac Mushila has proved his consistency and productivity. But for the year, one number stands out: His 9.7 rebounds rank 19th in the country. He's had two games with 17 boards and two with 16 this year alone.

Houston, the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region, is on top of the odds boards to win the national championship, followed by the top overall seed Alabama.


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