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March Madness: 16 facts to know for watching the Sweet 16

By Lukas Harkins

PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 17: Gillespie
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 17: Gillespie /
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DAYTON, OH – MARCH 14: Head coach Jim Boeheim of the Syracuse Orange reacts in the first half against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the First Four of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 14, 2018 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
DAYTON, OH – MARCH 14: Head coach Jim Boeheim of the Syracuse Orange reacts in the first half against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the First Four of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 14, 2018 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

5 of the top six teams in adjusted offensive efficiency are in the Sweet 16.

Per KenPom, the top six teams in adjusted offensive efficiency are Villanova, Purdue, Duke, Wichita State, Kansas, and Nevada. Excluding the Shockers, every one of these teams is still alive in the Sweet 16. The college basketball landscape is playing into the hands of teams that play at faster paces and take advantage of their offensive possessions. In addition to being highly efficient offensive squads, all of the teams mentioned above rank in the top-50 in tempo, except Nevada (109).

6 head coaches at new programs made the Big Dance. All have lost.

The coaching carousel is real in college basketball. If expectations are not met, coaches are fired. If expectations are far exceeded, then coaches leave their original posts for better jobs. There were several head coaches experiencing their first seasons with new programs this year and six of them made the NCAA Tournament. LaVall Jordan (Butler), Cuonzo Martin (Mizzou), Chris Jans (NMSU), Kevin Keatts (NC State), Chris Holtmann (Ohio State), and Brian Dutcher (San Diego State) represent this group. While it is great that they all went dancing, none of them reached the second weekend.

7 of the 10 longest tenured coaches are in the Sweet 16.

College head coaching jobs are hard to come by. There are only 351 Division-I opportunities and the job security is far from the best in the workforce. However, it is clear what keeps the best coaches so secure in their positions. Jim Boeheim (Syracuse), Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), Mark Few (Zaga), Jay Wright (Nova), Leonard Hamilton (FSU), Bill Self (Kansas), and Matt Painter (Purdue) represent seven of the 10 longest tenured coaches in college basketball. All of them are still alive in the NCAA Tournament this season.

8 Sweet 16 teams rank in the top-100 of the nation in 3-point percentage.

The “Golden State Effect” has hit the NCAA Tournament. As teams trend towards a game played further away from the basket, it should be no surprise that half of the Sweet 16 land in the top-100 in 3-point percentage. These teams know how to let it fly from deep. They have the ability to gather momentum in a hurry and build up leads faster than their opposition can counter.

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