Beware the 12 seed: Michigan, Memphis among the No. 5 seeds trying to avoid NCAA Tournament curse
UC San Diego guard Chris Howell (8) celebrates near the end of an NCAA college basketball game against UC Irvine in the championship of the Big West Conference tournament Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Henderson, Nev. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Ronda Churchill]
Michigan probably thought it deserved a better seed than fifth for the NCAA Tournament. And you can bet the Big Ten tourney champs hoped for an easier first-round foe than UC San Diego, which romped to 30 wins and the Big West title. It’s one of four intriguing 5-12 matchups in the NCAA bracket this year. American Athletic champ Memphis got a 5 seed and will play Mountain West champion Colorado State. Oregon opens against Liberty and Clemson faces McNeese in the other 5-12 matchups. Fifty-five times the No. 12 seed has won since the 1985 tournament expansion.
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