The stat sheet now has the floor. In the final days of the college basketball regular season, let’s ask the numbers and see what stories they have to tell.
You’re first, 22.4 . . .
Duke’s average winning margin after its latest Cooper Flaggulation of an opponent, 93-60 over Wake Forest on Monday. If the Blue Devils keep this up, they’ll have the second-highest margin in 26 years, behind only Gonzaga’s 22.8 in 2019. A particularly impressive part of the onslaught has been 10 ACC wins by at least 25 points, the most in conference history. An unusually weak league or an unusually mighty Duke with Flagg at the epicenter? Probably some of both.
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Losing at Clemson in early February seemed to only tick off the Blue Devils. They’ve won all seven games since by at least 18 points and the past four by 43, 37, 35 and 33 points. The largest deficit they’ve faced in those seven games was 5-2 at Virginia. Out of 280 minutes, they’ve trailed less than six. Now North Carolina gets to try to stop the locomotive.
Next, 16-2 . . .
Auburn’s record in quad 1 games this season. No other team in the country has more than 10 wins. Duke has six. How dominant have the 27-2 Tigers been? They received every No. 1 vote but one in this week’s Associated Press and coaches’ polls, even with Duke at 27-3 and on an absolute rampage.
Next, 58 . . .
Points allowed per game by Houston — the lowest in the land. The Cougars’ 65-59 win over Kansas Monday was the 19th time they have held an opponent under 60. That’s one major reason they’ve lost only once since November. Three of their four defeats for the season have been in overtime, the other by five points to Auburn.
All the above raises a question: If you had the choice to take Auburn, Duke and Houston to win the national championship, or all 350-odd other teams, which option would you like? One historical quirk concerning Houston: There has been only one national champion in the past 65 years who led the country in fewest points allowed — Virginia in 2019.
Next, 91 . . .
Alabama’s scoring average, to lead the nation, highlighted by breaking 100 points eight times. If the Tide hold that number, they’ll match 2021 Gonzaga for the highest average in the past 16 years. It’s taken the proverbial team effort since the top individual average, Mark Sears’ 19.1, is only 38th in the nation in scoring. Good thing Alabama puts up points like this. The Tide are 1-3 when they don’t hit 80.
12.8 . . .
North Florida led the nation, averaging that many 3-pointers a game, as well trying more of them than anyone else at 35.8. But the 3-pointer won’t cure everything. The Ospreys finished 15-17 and were one of the first teams in Division I knocked out of their conference tournament, losing Sunday night in the ASUN first round.
83.3 . . .
Wisconsin’s free throw average. If the Badgers can hang on to that a little longer, they’ll have a new NCAA record for a season. They’re also trying to oust the free-throw king. Villanova is not far behind at 81.5, and the Wildcats have been percentage leaders the past three seasons.
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11.0 . . .
That’s how many fouls Central Connecticut State averages a game, matching Creighton for lowest in the nation and way ahead of everyone else. Such clean living must help since the 23-6 Blue Devils won the NEC season title and own the longest winning streak in Division I with 12 in a row. They beat Fairfield 64-63 in a December game that had only three total free throws. They have made 23 more free throws this season than their opponents have attempted, and they’re the only team in the nation that has had nobody foul out of a game.
39.72 . . .
Bench scoring per game for Southern, most of any team, meaning 52 percent of the Jaguars points this season have come from the bullpen. They’re 19-10 and have powered into the SWAC lead by committee; 11 different players have started, and the highest scoring average on the team is 10.7. Their only two losses in the 2025 calendar year have both been by one point.
27-2, 27-3, 27-3 . . .
Those are the finest records in the nation, owned respectively by Auburn, Drake and Duke. Auburn is ranked No. 1, Duke No. 2. Drake? Nowhere to be found in the top 25. Maybe the Bulldogs should get a little more love in the polls, if only for the uniqueness of their story. They’re doing this with a new coach and four new players all from the same Division II program at Northwest Missouri State.
341 . . .
Michigan State’s national ranking in 3-point shooting percentage. But who needs ‘em? The 24-5 Spartans lead the Big Ten and are the first team anywhere to win five quad 1 games in a row. Being among the national leaders in rebound margin and free throw shooting helps, and so does the defense. Michigan State’s opponents shoot an even worse 3-point percentage than the Spartans do.
21 . . .
Bill Self has lost only 21 home games in 22 years at Kansas, a remarkable figure. But 14 percent of those defeats have come in the past 64 days to West Virginia, Houston and Texas Tech.
2 . . .
Rutgers has two of the top six freshman scorers in the country in Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. They are both projected NBA lottery picks. But the Scarlet Knights are 14-15 and tied for 11th in the Big Ten.
6-30 . . .
The combined conference records of North Carolina State and Miami. They’re 17-41 overall. They’re also the two most recent ACC teams to play in the Final Four, North Carolina State the past April and Miami in 2023.
5 . . .
Nobody left its league behind more than McNeese State, winning the Southland by five full games. Before 2023-24, the Cowboys had gone 11 years in a row without a winning conference record. They’re 36-2 in the past two seasons, including 19-1 this year.
13-5 . . .
That was the most popular conference record in the Sun Belt. Four teams — South Alabama, James Madison, Troy and Arkansas State — all did it, which is why the Sun Belt has quadruple season champions.
0-18 . . .
The Citadel’s record in Southern play. The Bulldogs were the only team in the nation not to win at least one conference game. But three of the losses went into overtime.
23.3 . . .
Eric Dixon’s average for Villanova as he closes in on the individual scoring title. It would be the second lowest average for the scoring leader since 1949, ahead of only Tyler Harvey’s 23.1 for Eastern Washington in 2015.
8 . . .
None of the six programs responsible for the past eight national championships — Connecticut, Kansas, Baylor, Virginia, Villanova and North Carolina — are in the Associated Press Top 25 for the final week of the regular season. Meanwhile, five of the top seven ranked teams — Auburn, Houston, Tennessee, Alabama and St. John’s — have never won a single title.
1980s . . .
That decade has been mentioned a lot in college basketball lately.
The last time St. John’s was an outright conference champion was 1985.
The last time No. 1 Auburn won at Kentucky was 1988.
The last time Kansas lost nine conference games was 1983.
All three things happened in the past three days. The numbers are saying March has come in like a lion.
