4: Number of the top-10 teams in defensive efficiency that are in the Midwest region. Louisville ranks first in the nation and Michigan State, St. Louis and Oklahoma State also rank in the top 10. If you look further down the bracket, the region also boasts the teams ranked No. 15 and 16 in the country in Cincinnati and Oregon.
27.6 percent: The percentage of opponent possessions that end in turnovers against Louisville’s defense. In addition to having the nation’s top defensive efficiency rating, the Cardinals rank second in generating turnovers.
41.8 percent: Percentage of avaiilable offensive rebounds coralled by No. 8 seed Colorado State. The Rams crash the offensive boards better than almost any team in the Tournament, ripping down offensive boards at the second-highest rate in the country. On the other end, the Rams allow offensive rebounds on just 23.3 percent of shots, good for tops in the nation.
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10: Combined number of senior starters for No. 14 seed Valparaiso and eighth-seeded Colorado State, who each start five seniors. Three sophomores and no freshmen crack the rotations of these two teams, who are two of the oldest teams in the NCAA Tournament.
78.3: Average height in inches of No. 13 seed New Mexico State, who is the tallest team in the Midwest region. The Aggies stand slightly above 6-foot-6, on average.
64.8 percent: Free throw percentage of top-seed Louisville’s opponents on the season. The Midwest region has four of the top 20 teams in the country at “defending” the free throw, including the Cardinals, Albany, Cincinnati and St. Louis. The Great Danes, who will face Duke in the Round of 64 Friday, allow opponents to shoot just a 65.3-percent clip from the charity stripe.
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