Forty things you can expect to see in this year’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament:
1) More points. Teams currently are averaging 73.6 points per game. That’s the highest since 2018, when the average was 73.8, and the second most since 1995. Generally speaking, teams are playing faster and shooting more three-pointers, which has made for a more viewer-friendly product. Six of the top seven scoring teams in the nation will be in the tournament: Alabama, Kentucky, Arizona, Samford, Florida and Gonzaga.
2) Fewer charges. One area of officiating emphasis this season has been making it harder for defenders to draw charging calls. Secondary defenders are not being rewarded for sliding in front of driving players, thus reducing the number of “charbage” calls. This has been one of the more significant improvements in recent years.
