March Madness by-the-numbers: Breaking down the NCAA men’s basketball tournament bracket

Here are 12 numbers you should know before filling out your bracket — including one that will sting for Philly hoops fans.

Camden native D.J. Wagner leads Arkansas with 1,132 minutes, the most of any player on the team this season. Now, he leads the No. 10 Razorbacks into NCAA first-round play against No. 7 Kansas on Thursday.Read moreMichael Woods / AP

by Kerith Gabriel

Published March 16, 2025, 9:34 p.m. ET

Some of the best parts of March Madness are the numbers that tell the stories of those who qualify for the 68-team field.

It goes beyond scores and regular-season records to the numbers that highlight an underdog story or tell the tale of a perennial powerhouse. With the dust settling on the teams that qualified to go dancing this season, we look at the numbers that stand out and offer some insight for fans as they start filling out those brackets before the first round tips off on Thursday.

Before examining the numbers that stand out for the teams in the field, perhaps you should know the most significant number for Philadelphia-area Division I programs, specifically the men’s and women’s teams in the Big 5.

0: The number of Philadelphia-area Division I schools that qualified for this year’s NCAA Tournament — on either the men’s or women’s side. You have to go back to 1977 for the last time the Big 5 has had no representation in either tournament.

OK, with that painful statistic out of the way, here’s a rundown of some other numbers that stand out …

317: That’s where Texas A&M ranks in three-point percentage among 352 Division I college programs across 31 conferences. The interior game isn’t much better for the Aggies — that’s right, the four-seed in the South Regional ranks 293rd from the field. They’ll take on No. 13 seed Yale on Thursday.

26: The number of seasons Kansas has finished with at least 20 wins or more, which is an all-time record in men’s Division I basketball. The 21-12 Jayhawks open as a No. 7 seed and will face No. 10 seed Arkansas on Thursday. Speaking of Arkansas …

1,132: The number of minutes this season for Camden native D.J. Wagner, who transferred to Arkansas from Kentucky ahead of the 2024-25 season. Wagner, who started every game, has the most minutes on the team and finished third in scoring, averaging 11.2 points.

25: The number of years it has been since St. John’s has been in the NCAA Tournament as the outright Big East champion. St. John’s opens play as the No. 2 seed on Thursday against No. 15 Omaha in the West Regional.

14: The number of schools in the Southeastern Conference to make the men’s tournament. It is the most from one program in the history of the NCAA Tournament.

2: This is the second time someone named Phil Martelli will be on the sideline leading a team in the NCAA Tournament. Following in the footsteps of his Big 5 Hall of Fame father, Phil Martelli Jr. will lead No. 15 seed Bryant against No. 2 seed Michigan State in the South Regional. Sticking with a father-son duo, there will be two Rick Pitinos coaching NCAA Tournament teams. Pitino Sr. leads St. John’s, while his son, Richard Pitino, leads No. 10 seed New Mexico into March for the first time since 2014. New Mexico will take on No. 7 seed Marquette — a team his father knows all too well as a Big East foe — on Friday.

31: The number of wins for Duke this season, the most of any team in the field. The top-seeded Blue Devils open against the winner of the play-in game between American and Mount St. Mary’s. They are expected to see the return of Cooper Flagg, the favorite for National Player of the Year who is currently rehabbing an ankle sprain suffered in the ACC tournament.

81: The number of points No. 3 seed Texas Tech averages per game. One would think that would make it a tough day for No. 14 seed UNC Wilmington, the Red Raiders’ first-round opponent. But UNCW, which knocked off Delaware in the Coastal Athletic Association championship game, enters with a 27-7 record and a staunch defense that held opponents to an average of 69.9 points this season.

8: The number of Top 20 wins Kentucky has this season. In terms of locals, keep an eye on Drexel transfer Amari Williams, who left the Dragons in the offseason as a three-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year, and West Chester native Andrew Carr, who transferred from Wake Forest and was a steady presence at center, averaging 9.5 points. No. 3 seed Kentucky will take on No. 14 seed Troy in the first round.

1: Penny Hardaway, who will always be remembered for his prowess as an NBA player and his signature No. 1 jersey as a member of the Orlando Magic, will lead No. 5 seed Memphis into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2023 season. The American Athletic Conference champions, who knocked off defending AAC champs Alabama-Birmingham on Sunday, will take on No. 12 seed Colorado State in NCAA first-round play on Friday.

10: Should No. 8 seed Gonzaga make it to the Sweet Sixteen, it’ll mark the 10th appearance for coach Mark Few and the Bulldogs. They’d be just four off the mark of UCLA’s record 14 appearances — but to do so, they’ll have to get past No. 9 seed Georgia first.