How many 12 seeds have won in March Madness? History of 12 vs. 5 upsets, statistics for NCAA Tournament

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Fun reality: If you fill out an NCAA Tournament bracket and don’t choose no less than one 12-over-5 upset, your submission is mechanically thrown out. True story.

OK, that is not truly a real story. But if you happen to’re not selecting a 12-over-5, why are you even filling out a bracket? It’s a double-digit upset, which is enjoyable, and historical past reveals us there’s a fairly darn good likelihood no less than one 12 seed goes to be enjoying no less than two video games.

Here’s a whole breakdown of the historical past of 12 vs. 5 matchups in the NCAA Tournament, together with probably the most memorable upsets and necessary numbers to know whereas filling out your March Madness bracket.

MORE: Ranking the top 80 upsets in March Madness history

History of 12 seed vs. 5 seed upsets in NCAA Tournament

There actually is one thing magical about these 12-5 video games. Think about this: In the previous 40 years, there have been 50 12-over-5 upsets, and on the similar time there have solely been 52 11-over-6 wins and 55 10-over-7 outcomes. Remember, groups seeded on the No. 5 seed line are typically ranked in the highest 20 in the polls, whereas groups on the 7 seed line are barely in the “also receiving votes” class, and but the 5 seeds lose nearly as a lot because the 7 seeds.

And as an alternative of telling you yearly there’s been a 12-over-5 upset, it’s a lot — MUCH — simpler to simply checklist the years it didn’t occur: 1988, 2000, 2007, 2015 and 2018. That’s it, 5 years. That’s the complete checklist.

How many instances have no less than two No. 12 seeds won? Let’s look: 1990, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2009. 2012, 2013, 2014, 2019. That’s 13, if you happen to didn’t really feel like counting. History reveals us it’s greater than TWICE as more likely to have no less than two 12 seeds win than to have zero 12 seeds win.

But wait, there’s extra!

Here’s a listing of the years the place THREE 12 seeds beat a 5 seed: 2002, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2019. Yep, 5 instances. So in the previous 40 years, we’ve seen as many years with three 12 seeds profitable video games as we’ve seen zero 12 seeds profitable video games. Heck, in the 2013-14 tournaments, No. 12 seeds went 6-2 in opposition to No. 5 seeds.

So, y’know, choose no less than one 12-over-5 upset, people.

Year	Result	Score
1985	Kentucky def. Washington	66-58
1986	DePaul def. Virginia	72-68
1987	Wyoming def. Virginia	64-60
1989	DePaul def. Memphis State	66-63
1990	Dayton def. Illinois	88-86
1990	Ball State def. Oregon State	54-53
1991	Eastern Michigan def. Mississippi State	76-56
1992	New Mexico State def. DePaul	81-73
1993	George Washington def. New Mexico	82-68
1994	UW-Green Bay def. California	61-57
1994	Tulsa def. UCLA	112-102
1995	Miami (Ohio) def. Arizona	71-62
1996	Drexel def. Memphis	75-63
1996	Arkansas def. Penn State	86-80
1997	College of Charleston def. Maryland	75-66
1998	Florida State def. TCU	96-87
1999	Detroit def. UCLA	56-53
1999	Missouri State def. TCU	96-87
2001	Utah State def. Ohio State	77-68 (OT)
2001	Gonzaga def. Virginia	86-85
2002	Tulsa def. Marquette	71-69
2002	Missouri def. Miami (Fla.)	93-80
2002	Creighton def. Florida	83-82 (2OT)
2003	Butler def. Mississippi State	47-46
2004	Pacific def. Providence	66-58
2005	Milwaukee def. Alabama	83-73
2006	Montana def. Nevada	87-79
2006	Texas A&M def. Syracuse	66-58
2008	Villanova def. Clemson	75-69
2008	Western Kentucky def. Drake	101-99 (OT)
2009	Wisconsin def. Florida State	61-59 (OT)
2009	Arizona def. Utah	84-71
2009	Western Kentucky def. Illinois	76-72
2010	Cornell def. Temple	78-65
2011	Richmond def. Vanderbilt	69-66
2012	South Florida def. Temple	58-44
2012	VCU def. Wichita State	62-59
2013	Ole Miss def. Wisconsin	57-46
2013	California def. UNLV	64-61
2013	Oregon def. Oklahoma State	68-55
2014	Harvard def. Cincinnati	61-57
2014	North Dakota State def. Oklahoma	80-75 (OT)
2014	Stephen F. Austin def. VCU	77-75 (OT)
2016	Little Rock def. Purdue	85-83 (2OT)
2016	Yale def. Baylor	79-75
2017	Middle Tennessee def. Minnesota	81-72
2019	Oregon def. Wisconsin	72-54
2019	Liberty def. Mississippi State	80-76
2019	Murray State def. Marquette	83-64
2021	Oregon State def. Tennessee	70-56

MORE: The 14 most humiliating first-round chokes in Big Dance history

12 seeds vs. 5 seeds by the numbers

• 51-93: Record for 12 seeds vs. No. 5 seeds
• 35.4 %: Overall profitable proportion for 12 seeds since 1985
• 20: Largest margin of victory for a 12 seed; Eastern Michigan over Mississippi State (76-56)
• 1. Smallest margin of victory for a 12 seed; 4 instances, first by Ball State over Oregon State (54-53)
• 7: Number of instances a 12 seed has won in extra time
• 2: Number of instances a 12 seed has won in double extra time
• 1: Buzzer-beater wins for 12 seeds: Western Kentucky over Drake (101-99)
• 21: 12 seeds to achieve the Sweet 16
• 1: 12 seeds to achieve the Elite Eight

Has a 12 seed ever won March Madness?

No, a 12 seed has by no means won the NCAA Tournament, however you need to maintain the concept in the “not very likely but not impossible” class. Remember, there have been a number of 11 seeds to crash the Final Four, and loopy issues can occur in a 40-minute basketball sport.

Of the 21 12 seeds to achieve the Sweet 16, solely the 2002 Missouri Tigers truly won that Sweet 16 contest to advance to the Elite Eight. That was a proficient however inconsistent group headlined by Kareem Rush, the junior with the graceful left-handed shot, with sophomores Rickey Paulding and Arthur Johnson and shot-happy senior Clarence Gilbert.

The Tigers knocked off Miami (Fla.) in the opener, then cruised previous 4-seed Ohio State by 16 in the second spherical. Instead of dealing with the No. 1 seed in the Sweet 16, they performed No. 8 UCLA; the Bruins had upended Cincinnati in double extra time. Mizzou cruised previous UCLA, too, profitable 82-73. In the Elite Eight sport in opposition to No. 2 Oklahoma — a Big 12 rival that was 34-5 getting into the sport and had crushed the Tigers by 13 factors in their lone regular-season matchup — Mizzou hung powerful regardless of foul bother and Gilbert’s taking pictures woes (he completed the sport 1-for-16 from the sphere).

The Tigers reduce Oklahoma’s result in three factors at 70-67 with below three minutes left, however by no means received any nearer in an 81-75 loss.

MORE: March Madness Cinderella players we’ll never forget

Lowest seed to win the NCAA Tournament

Since the event expanded to 64 groups in 1985, we’ve seen 5 double-digit seeds attain the Final Four:

• 11 seed LSU in 1986
• 11 seed George Mason in 2006
• 11 seed VCU in 2011
• 10 seed Syracuse in 2016
• 11 seed Loyola Chicago in 2018

All 4 misplaced earlier than reaching the title sport. Only 4 groups seeded decrease than the No. 3 seed line have ever won the nationwide title: one 4 seed (Arizona in 1997), one 6 seed (Kansas in 1988), one seven seed (UConn in 2014) and one 8 seed (Villanova in 1985). No 5 seed has ever won. The Villanova story is the stuff of legend; a plucky, methodical 8 seed that reached the title sport by grinding out a sequence of slender wins (three by three factors or fewer) and dealing with off in opposition to the may Georgetown Hoyas in the championship sport.

It’s thought of by some as the most important upset in NCAA Tournament historical past. But right here’s the factor: It makes for an awesome David and Goliath story, however Villanova was fairly darn good. In the 1985 and 1986 NBA Drafts, three starters from that 1985 group went in the highest 30 picks (Ed Pinckney at 10 and Dwayne McClain at 27 in 1985 and Harold Pressley at 17 in 1986; Gary McLain went in the seventh spherical in 1985). Factor in that Villanova had already performed Georgetown powerful TWICE that 12 months — losses by solely two factors and 7 factors — and, sorry, it would not make for a top-five all-time upset.

It does, although, make for a fairly cool championship story.

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