Inside the Numbers of the 2017 NCAA Tournament

The 2017 NCAA tournament is all about numbers. From scouring box scores, schedules and advanced statistics while filling out a bracket to the scoreboard in the arena, college basketball's season-ending extravaganza is based on digits.

We've put together a collection of noteworthy facts and interesting numbers heading into March Madness. And there's no better place to start than the best time-waster of the month.

1:128,000,000,000: While the true mathematical probability of selecting a perfect bracket is approximately 9.2 quintillion, that's not a perfect figure given the fact No. 16 seeds are 0-128 against No. 1s. In 2014, DePaul University mathematician Jeff Bergen told Rick Hampson of USA Today that a better estimate is 128,000,000,000. That's a significantly smaller number. It's also still a massive long shot. Don't worry if your bracket isn't perfect.

18,100,000: Hours of live viewing on the NCAA March Madness Live app in 2016, per NCAA.com. The 18.1 million total edged the previous high of 17.8 million hours.

703,854: Total number of fans who attended the 2016 NCAA tournament across 36 sessions, according to NCAA.com.

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885: The average cost for an all-session pass to the 2017 Final Four, per Thomas Barrabi of Fox Business.

184: The record for most points by a single player in an NCAA tournament. In 1989, Michigan's Glen Rice clipped the 24-year mark of 177, though Princeton's Bill Bradley accumulated his total in five games compared to six for Rice.

78: Years that Northwestern needed to reach its first-ever NCAA tournament. The team, led by head coach Chris Collins, has already tied a program record with 23 season victories and recently appeared in the Big Ten tournament semifinals for the first time. Northwestern's opponent is ninth-seeded Vanderbilt.

67: Total games in the NCAA tournament, starting with the First Four in Dayton, Ohio.

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21: Straight wins for Vermont, which has the longest active winning streak in the nation entering March Madness. The No. 13 Catamounts have yet to lose during the 2017 calendar year. They open the tournament against fourth-seeded Purdue.

20: Years since a Pac-12 program won the national championship. The league's most recent winner was in 1997, when an Arizona team with Mike Bibby and Jason Terry hoisted the trophy. Current Georgia Tech head coach Josh Pastner was also a member of the roster.

15: The most losses by an at-large team in tournament history. Congratulations, Vanderbilt, on setting a record for successful futility. Per Jack Freifelder of NCAA.com, 11 programs shared the previous mark of 14. The Commodores open against No.8 Northwestern.

10: Wins by 12th seeds in the round of 64 during the last five years. The 5-12 matchups are easily the most popular talking point for potential upsets in the bracket. And with a .500 winning percentage from 2012 to 2016, there's good reason for it.

9: Years since a Pac-12 program reached the Final Four. Not only is the conference looking to end a two-decadelong stretch without a national title, but 2008 UCLA is the most recent representative. That roster included four current NBA players in Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Darren Collison and Luc Mbah a Moute.

8: The lowest seed ever to win the NCAA tournament. In 1985—also the year the field expanded to 64—Villanova edged No. 9 Dayton before stunning No. 1 Michigan. With victories over No. 5 Maryland and No. 2 North Carolina, the Wildcats advanced to the Final Four. They finished off the improbable run against No. 2 Memphis State (now known as Memphis) and No. 1 Georgetown.

7: Trips to the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight for Gonzaga throughout its 19 consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournament. However, the Zags have never reached the Final Four. A No. 1 seed this year, the Bulldogs begin against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits on Thursday.

6: Players who enter March Madness averaging 20 points per game. These include Mike Daum (South Dakota State, 25.3), Keon Johnson (Winthrop, 22.5), Sindarius Thornwell (South Carolina, 21.0), Frank Mason III (Kansas, 20.8), Malik Monk (Kentucky, 20.4) and Luke Kennard (Duke, 20.1).

5: Championships won by Mike Krzyzewski at Duke, the most among active coaches. Only Roy Williams (North Carolina) and Rick Pitino (Kentucky, Louisville) have multiple titles.

4: Double-digit seeds ever to reach the Final Four. Last season, No. 10 Syracuse accomplished the rare feat, joining 1986 LSU, 2006 George Mason and 2011 Virginia Commonwealth. Each team lost in the national semifinals, falling one game shy of the title.

3: Of the most memorable game-winning buzzer-beaters in the Big Dance last year. No. 11 Northern Iowa's Paul Jesperson banked in a half-court heave to upset Texas, Wisconsin's Bronson Koenig buried a fadeaway to stun No. 2 Xavier and Villanova's Kris Jenkins clinched the title with a deep three.

2: Number of repeat champions since UCLA's dominant run in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Duke (1991, 1992) and Florida (2006, 2007) are the only programs over the last 40-plus years to celebrate consecutive national titles. Villanova will attempt to join that exclusive club.

1: Shining moment for the 2017 champion. Will we have a repeat winner, or will a new team reign supreme? The madness began Tuesday with the First Four. It really starts getting wild Thursday with the beginning of the round of 64.

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Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.