It might be trendy and popular to pick a No. 12 seed over a No. 5 in the first round, but it's historically rare for that same No. 12 seed to make a deep run in the tournament.
In the history of the NCAA Tournament, only two No. 12 seeds have ever made it to the Elite Eight. None have ever won their regional and advanced to the Final Four.
The most recent example of this was actually 2021, when Oregon State got hot at the end of the season and turned a blase season into an unforgettable tournament run.
At 14-12 (10-10), the Beavers weren't even really a bubble team heading into the Pac-12 tournament. But Oregon State earned an automatic bid by toppling UCLA, rival Oregon and a top-25 ranked Colorado team.'