Numbers Game | Dissecting March Madness' opening weekend

Cinderella isn't really dancing this March, but that didn't stop the NCAA Men's Basketball Division I Tournament's opening weekend from churning out some memorable moments.

And some bracket-busting ones, too.

So this week's Numbers Game examines those hard-hitting digits that caused so much pain or joy for so many office pool enthusiasts.

We'll look at a couple local numerals, too.

Here we go:

13.69

Average margin of victory between all the Sweet 16 participants. So while Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Texas A&M punched their tickets to the second weekend with last-second shots or a furious rally to force and win in overtime, the final 16 teams remaining in March Madness advanced with little trouble. However, there were some thrilling finishes in the first two rounds, including three buzzer-beaters. Those three buzzer-beaters are the most since the tournament expanded in 1985.

75

Speaking of thrilling finishes, Texas A&M's Danuel House shot 75 percent from

the floor in racking up 22 points in the final 15 minutes, 30 seconds of the Aggies incredible comeback victory over Northern Iowa in double overtime. A&M completed the largest come back in tourney history -- 12 points in the final minute -- to force overtime and House was an integral part of the victory after UNI held him scoreless over the first 34:30 of regulation.

1.25

Average number of 3-pointers per game Wisconsin's Bronson Koenig converted his last four games ... prior to Sunday's performance that ousted Xavier from the Big Dance. Koenig drained six triples, including a game-tying one and the buzzer-beating fadeaway that sent the Badgers into the Sweet 16.

The game-winner also sent former Wisconsin star Frank Kaminsky scurrying in excitement from his seat at home as the reaction video posted to social media site Twitter went viral, picked up by several national media outlets.

4

Upsets happen in the Big Dance, but this year's tournament doesn't really have that Cinderella feel. We don't have a George Mason, a VCU, a Wichita State or a Butler still standing. Gonzaga is the lone non-power conference club still dancing, but the Bulldogs are on the upper cusp of mid-major programs under head coach Mark Few. People expect the Zags to make tourney runs each season. This year, though, they're the highest seed remaining at No. 11 in the Midwest Region. Their Sweet 16 opponent is Syracuse, a No. 10 seed. That means a double-digit seed is guaranteed an Elite Eight berth and the chance to become the fourth double-digit seed to advance to the Final Four. The Orange are one of six Atlantic Coast Conference remaining programs, the largest such for a single conference in the Sweet 16 round in history. Half of those ACC clubs still playing are old Big East teams, while Maryland (Big Ten) previously competed in the ACC. An all-ACC Final Four is still intact, too, which is something that's never happened in tourney history.

2

Manatee County programs ranked in the top 10 of their respective classifications in the latest Miracle Sports Florida High School Softball Poll. Lakewood Ranch is ranked No. 6 in Class 8A, while Braden River checks in at No. 9 in 7A. The two teams battled each other last week, with the Mustangs recording a 10-6 victory through Madi LoCastro's two home runs.

35

Number of offers for IMG Academy's Dylan Moses, the No. 2 rated recruit in the 24/7 Sports composite football rankings for next year's class. Moses transferred to IMG Academy this year and we mention this football tidbit, because the five-star linebacker is utilizing the Manatee County spring break schedule to make some visits. Texas, LSU and Alabama are among his visits this week, according to various reports. Moses also picked up an offer from Michigan earlier this month shortly after the Wolverines departed IMG Academy for their spring practice trip to the Sunshine State.

This story was originally published March 21, 2016 at 11:50 PM with the headline "Numbers Game | Dissecting March Madness' opening weekend ."