The second portion of our statistical review will discuss defensive numbers and important differentials that could shed some light about not just how teams won, but how they’ll likely fare going forward.
| Team | FG D % | 3 FG D % | Reb Margin | Ast Margin | BLK Margin | FT Margin | FT % |
| Florida 1 | 39.2 | 30.8 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 77.8 |
| Florida 2 | 37.3 | 23.5 | 7 | -5 | 3 | 3 | 66.7 |
| UCLA 1 | 36.8 | 36.8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 86.7 |
| UCLA 2 | 35.7 | 25.9 | -5 | 9 | -1 | 7 | 65.2 |
| Dayton 1 | 48 | 25 | 0 | 0 | -4 | 5 | 76.5 |
| Dayton 2 | 38.9 | 0 | 4 | 8 | -3 | 4 | 55.6 |
| Stanford 1 | 36.5 | 19 | -2 | -2 | 3 | -2 | 70.6 |
| Stanford 2 | 32.8 | 31.3 | 2 | -1 | 2 | 8 | 69.2 |
| Virginia 1 | 42 | 47.4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 80 |
| Virginia 2 | 40.7 | 23.1 | 12 | -3 | 3 | -5 | 81.3 |
| Michigan St 1 | 36.4 | 40 | 18 | 9 | 1 | -14 | 92 |
| Michigan St 2 | 41.5 | 35.3 | 2 | 9 | -2 | -8 | 77.3 |
| Iowa State 1 | 46.2 | 31.3 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 87.5 |
| Iowa State 2 | 47.1 | 40 | -1 | 6 | -3 | 6 | 71.4 |
| UConn 1 | 50 | 33.3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -7 | 90 |
| UConn 2 | 35.3 | 35.5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 78.6 |
| Arizona 1 | 30.2 | 41.2 | -1 | 8 | 9 | -7 | 56.3 |
| Arizona 2 | 40.7 | 37.5 | -11 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 72.2 |
| San Diego St 1 | 40 | 31.3 | -1 | -4 | 5 | 7 | 77.8 |
| San Diego St 2 | 31.9 | 18.2 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 75 |
| Baylor 1 | 42.6 | 19 | 12 | 2 | -5 | 32 | 79.2 |
| Baylor 2 | 40 | 20.8 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 66.7 |
| Wisconsin 1 | 29.7 | 26.7 | 7 | 5 | 1 | -1 | 92.9 |
| Wisconsin 2 | 49 | 44.4 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 64 |
| Kentucky 1 | 35.8 | 23.8 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 66.7 |
| Kentucky 2 | 55.1 | 47.6 | 9 | -3 | 0 | 4 | 72.7 |
| Louisville 1 | 45.1 | 60 | 11 | -1 | 3 | 14 | 77.1 |
| Louisville 2 | 39.6 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 66.7 |
| Tennessee 1 | 42.4 | 27.3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 20 | 77.4 |
| Tennessee 2 | 45.3 | 36.4 | 22 | 4 | -4 | 17 | 88.5 |
| Michigan 1 | 34 | 5.3 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 66.7 |
| Michigan 2 | 37.1 | 36.4 | -11 | 2 | -1 | 5 | 81 |
| Averages | 40.090625 | 29.815625 | 4.875 | 3.15625 | 1.09375 | 5 | 75.228125 |
The average field goal defense was just a tick better than 40.1 percent, way down from the 37.8 percent allowed last year. Florida, UCLA, Stanford and Michigan were the only teams to hold opponents under 40 percent shooting in both games, while San Diego State finished just under that threshold. Virginia, Iowa State and Tennessee were the only teams to finish both games below the average defensive field goal number, while Kentucky’s 55.1 percent field goal defense against Wichita State on Sunday was the worst number by over five percentage points.
Teams in the Sweet 16 allowed a higher percentage from three than they did last year, but a rate of 29.8 percent is still very good and a key indicator for success. Michigan and Syracuse had the best 3-point defenses at this point last year and both made the Final Four. Baylor and Dayton are the only two teams to hold their opponents under that average in both games, with Dayton and Louisville allowing no made treys in their third-round games. Michigan State, Iowa State, UConn and Arizona are the teams which finished both games below average in guarding the three. Iowa State and UConn match up in the round of 16.
Rebound margin is critical in preventing second-chance opportunities, and the remaining teams had an average advantage of 4.87 boards per contest thus far. Baylor, Wisconsin, Kentucky and Louisville were the only teams to exceed the average rebound advantage in both their games, and that quartet of clubs play one another this week.
Alarmingly, Arizona was the only team to lose the rebounding advantage in both games (albeit by one in its opener), and Arizona and Michigan are the only remaining teams to finish a game with a double-digit rebound deficit. Tennessee just outrebounded Mercer by 22 on Sunday and could have a significant advantage over Michigan in this department.
While the average blocks per game margin remained insignificant for the second straight year, the average assist margin remained relatively constant at 3.15. Louisville had by far the best assist margin at this point last year and won it all. This year, Michigan State, Iowa State, Arizona, Wisconsin and Tennessee are the only teams to exceed the assist margin average in both games, with the Spartans, Cyclones and Wildcats leading the way. Stanford is the only team to lose the assist battle in both games, while Florida and Kentucky finished with an overall assist deficit. The Final Four last year combined for a plus-42 in assist margin at this point.
The Final Four teams were all above average in comparative free throw margin as well. That advantage this year is five free throws per game, with that average having been eclipsed in both games by San Diego State, Baylor, Louisville and Tennessee. Michigan State was the only team in the Sweet 16 to have fewer attempts than its opponents in both games. That happened to La Salle and Arizona last year, and both teams lost their next game.
In terms of free-throw percentage, Virginia, Michigan State, UConn and Tennessee were the only teams to exceed the Sweet 16’s average of 75.2 percent from the line in both games. Stanford, Arizona and Kentucky are the three teams that fell below the average in both their games.
As you make your picks and prepare for this week’s games, keep these stats in mind and enjoy the weekend matchups.
Shlomo Sprung is a national columnist for SheridanHoops who loves advanced statistics and the way they explain what happens on the court. He is also the web editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. A 2011 graduate of Columbia University’s Journalism School, he has previously worked for the New York Knicks, The Sporting News, Business Insider and other publications. His website is SprungOnSports.com. You should follow him on Twitter.