Probably the most volatile NCAA tournament seed in all of college basketball, the No. 12 seed, has wreaked havoc on No. 5 seeds and brackets alike for years. That continued in 2021, when Oregon State became the second No. 12 seed to make the Elite Eight, following 2002 Missouri. The Beavers beat No. 5 seed Tennessee, No. 4 seed Oklahoma State and No. 8 seed Loyola Chicago before losing to No. 2 seed Houston in the Elite Eight.
In 31 of the last 36 NCAA tournaments, No. 12 seeds have won at least one first-round game for a total record of 51-93 (35.4 percent) against No. 5 seeds. The only exceptions were in 1988, 2000, 2007, 2015 and 2018.
The 2019 NCAA Tournament belonged to the No. 12 seeds. No. 12 seed Liberty upset Mississippi State 80-76 while No. 12 seeds Oregon and Murray State rolled against No. 5 seeds Wisconsin and Marquette, respectively.
Some other recent, close victories include No. 12 seed Little Rock's 85-83 upset of No. 5 seed Purdue in 2016 and No. 12 seed Yale's 79-74 win against No. 5 seed Baylor the same year.
While more than 50 percent of the No. 12 seeds that won in the first round fail to advance past the second round (including those Little Rock and Yale teams), 22 teams have made it to the Sweet 16 — and after the 2021 NCAA Tournament, two have now reached the Elite Eight.
DePaul got the ball rolling in 1986 after beating Virginia by four in the opening round, and Oregon was the only No. 12 seed to advance to the Sweet 16 in 2019. Eastern Michigan’s 20-point win over Mississippi State in 1991 still stands as the largest victory by a No. 12 seed over a No. 5 seed, though Oregon and Murray State challenged that record in 2019 with wins by 18 and 19 points in the opening round, respectively.
Missouri was the first program to make it to the Elite Eight as a No. 12 seed. In 2002, the Tigers’ run through the West regional bracket began with a 93-80 win against No. 5 seed Miami (FL). That game featured a ferocious Tiger squad with six players — including the entire starting lineup — who eclipsed double-digits in points. Led by senior guard Clarence Gilbert, Missouri raced out to an eight-point halftime lead and tacked on a few more for the 13-point upset victory.
The Tigers went on to upset No. 4 seed Ohio State and No. 8 seed UCLA before they lost in the Elite Eight to No. 2 seed Oklahoma.
Utah State, which has been the No. 12 seed five times, is 1-4 against No. 5 seeds. Its lone win came in 2001 against Ohio State.
| Year | Winner | Loser | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Connecticut | Utah State | 75-67 |
| 2001 | Utah State | Ohio State | 77-68 |
| 2006 | Washington | Utah State | 75-61 |
| 2010 | Texas A&M | Utah State | 69-53 |
| 2011 | Kansas State | Utah State | 73-68 |
Eastern Michigan offered the biggest surprise in the first round on March 15, 1991, as the Eagles beat Mississippi State, 76-56.
*Note: All data is from the 1985 NCAA Tournament to the present.
