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2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament

Edition of USA college basketball tournament

2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament

Edition of USA college basketball tournament

FieldValue
Year2012
Image2012 NCAA Men's Final Four logo.svg
Teams68
FinalFourArenaMercedes-Benz Superdome
FinalFourCityNew Orleans, Louisiana
Champions[Kentucky Wildcats](2011-12-kentucky-wildcats-men-s-basketball-team)
TitleCount8th
ChampGameCount11th
ChampFFCount15th
RunnerUp[Kansas Jayhawks](2011-12-kansas-jayhawks-men-s-basketball-team)
GameCount9th
RunnerFFCount14th
Semifinal1[Louisville Cardinals](2011-12-louisville-cardinals-men-s-basketball-team)* (vacated)
FinalFourCount9th
Semifinal2[Ohio State Buckeyes](2011-12-ohio-state-buckeyes-men-s-basketball-team)
FinalFourCount211th
CoachJohn Calipari
CoachCount1st
MOPAnthony Davis
MOPTeam[Kentucky](2011-12-kentucky-wildcats-men-s-basketball-team)

The 2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament that determined the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball national champion for the 2011-12 season. The 74th edition of the tournament began on March 13, 2012, and concluded with the championship game on April 2, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The Final Four consisted of Kentucky, making their second appearance in the Final Four under John Calipari, Louisville, making their second appearance under Rick Pitino and first since 2005, Kansas, making their first appearance since winning the 2008 national championship under head coach Bill Self by defeating Calipari's Memphis team, and Ohio State, making their first appearance since their runner-up finish in 2007 and second under coach Thad Matta. This was the first (and only) tournament that both national semifinals and the national championship game were regular season rematches. Kentucky defeated Kansas in the championship game 67–59 to win their first national championship since Tubby Smith led the team there in 1998. This was Calipari's first national championship in four trips to the Final Four, having previously gone there with Kentucky in 2011, Memphis in 2008 and Massachusetts in 1996.

Upsets were once again the story of the tournament in 2012, and for the first time ever two #15 seeds won in the same tournament. In the South Region, #15 Lehigh of the Patriot League defeated #2 Duke. In the West Region, #15 Norfolk State of the MEAC, making their first ever NCAA tournament appearance, defeated #2 Missouri as a 21.5 point underdog, the second biggest upset in terms of point spread in NCAA tournament history, behind Fairleigh Dickinson's defeat of Purdue in 2023, where Purdue was a 23.5 point favorite.

In addition to this, Ohio won a game as a double digit seed for the second time in four tournaments as the #13 seed Bobcats defeated #4 seed Michigan to advance to the third round of the Midwest Region. A team from the First Four games also won in the Round of 64 for the second consecutive year as South Florida defeated Midwest #5 seed Temple, setting up a #12 vs. #13 matchup that Ohio won.

Virginia Commonwealth, a Final Four team from 2011 as an #11 seed, made the 2012 tournament as a #12 seed and once again made the round of 32 by defeating South #5 seed Wichita State. The South Region saw four double digit seeds win in their opening games, as Colorado and Xavier joined VCU and Lehigh as victors. Xavier advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, where they were defeated by Baylor.

Despite the upsets, all four top seeds advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2009. Three made it to the Elite Eight, as only Michigan State of the West Region lost. Kentucky was the only one to advance to the Final Four as Syracuse and North Carolina lost in their regional finals. This would end up being the last Final Four until 2019 that did not include at least one team seeded #7 or higher, and still is the last Final Four to not include at least one team seeded #5 or higher as of the conclusion of the 2024 season.

Two teams made their first NCAA tournament appearances in school history: MEAC champion Norfolk State and Summit League champion South Dakota State. Ivy League champion Harvard made its first appearance since 1946, ending the longest tournament drought in NCAA history.

All four teams from the state of Ohio (Cincinnati, Ohio, Ohio State, and Xavier) made it to the Sweet 16, marking the first time in tournament history any state has been represented by four teams in the round of 16. This tournament was also the first tournament since 1985 to feature no teams in the Sweet 16 from the Mountain or Pacific Time Zones.

Tournament procedure

A total of 68 teams entered the tournament. Thirty out of 31 automatic bids were given to the teams that won their conference tournament. The remaining automatic bid was awarded to the Ivy League regular season champion since they do not hold a conference tournament. The remaining 37 teams were granted "at-large" bids, which were extended by the NCAA Selection Committee on March 11.

Eight teams (the four-lowest seeded automatic qualifiers and the four lowest-seeded at-large teams) played in the First Four. The winners of those games advanced to the main tournament bracket.

For the first time ever, the Selection Committee publicly disclosed the overall rankings for each team, which are listed below.

Schedule and venues

The following are the sites selected to host each round of the 2012 tournament:

First Four

  • March 13 and 14
    • University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, Ohio (Host: University of Dayton)

First and Second rounds

  • March 15 and 17
    • Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon (Host: University of Oregon)
    • University Arena ("The Pit"), Albuquerque, New Mexico (Host: University of New Mexico)
    • Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Host: Duquesne University)
    • KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Kentucky (Host: University of Louisville)
  • March 16 and 18
    • Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio (Host: Ohio State University)
    • CenturyLink Center Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska (Host: Creighton University)
    • Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee (Host: Ohio Valley Conference)
    • Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina (Host: Atlantic Coast Conference)

Regional semifinals and Finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight)

  • March 22 and 24
    • East Regional
      • TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts (Host: Boston College)
    • West Regional
      • US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona (Host: Arizona State University)
  • March 23 and 25
    • Midwest Regional
      • Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri (Host: Saint Louis University)
    • South Regional
      • Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia (Host: Georgia Institute of Technology)

National semifinals and championship (Final Four and championship)

  • March 31 and April 2
    • Mercedes-Benz Superdome (Host: Tulane University) New Orleans hosted the Final Four for the fifth time, having previously hosted in 2003.

Qualification and selection teams

Automatic bids

The following teams were automatic qualifiers for the 2012 NCAA field by virtue of winning their conference's tournament (except for the Ivy League, whose regular-season champion received the automatic bid).

ConferenceSchoolAppearanceLast bid
[America East](2012-america-east-men-s-basketball-tournament)[Vermont](2011-12-vermont-catamounts-men-s-basketball-team)5th[2010](2010-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[Atlantic 10](2012-atlantic-10-men-s-basketball-tournament)[St. Bonaventure](2011-12-st-bonaventure-bonnies-men-s-basketball-team)6th[2000](2000-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[ACC](2012-acc-men-s-basketball-tournament)[Florida State](2011-12-florida-state-seminoles-men-s-basketball-team)14th[2011](2011-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[Atlantic Sun](2012-atlantic-sun-men-s-basketball-tournament)[Belmont](2011-12-belmont-bruins-men-s-basketball-team)5th[2011](2011-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[Big 12](2012-big-12-men-s-basketball-tournament)[Missouri](2011-12-missouri-tigers-men-s-basketball-team)25th[2011](2011-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[Big East](2012-big-east-men-s-basketball-tournament)[Louisville](2011-12-louisville-cardinals-men-s-basketball-team)38th[2011](2011-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[Big Sky](2012-big-sky-conference-men-s-basketball-tournament)[Montana](2011-12-montana-grizzlies-basketball-team)9th[2010](2010-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[Big South](2012-big-south-conference-men-s-basketball-tournament)[UNC Asheville](2011-12-unc-asheville-bulldogs-men-s-basketball-team)3rd[2011](2011-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[Big Ten](2012-big-ten-conference-men-s-basketball-tournament)[Michigan State](2011-12-michigan-state-spartans-men-s-basketball-team)26th[2011](2011-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[Big West](2012-big-west-conference-men-s-basketball-tournament)[Long Beach State](2011-12-long-beach-state-49ers-men-s-basketball-team)6th[2007](2007-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[Colonial](2012-caa-men-s-basketball-tournament)[VCU](2011-12-vcu-rams-men-s-basketball-team)12th[2011](2011-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[C-USA](2012-conference-usa-men-s-basketball-tournament)[Memphis](2011-12-memphis-tigers-men-s-basketball-team)24th[2011](2011-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[Horizon](2012-horizon-league-men-s-basketball-tournament)[Detroit](2011-12-detroit-titans-men-s-basketball-team)6th[1999](1999-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
Ivy League[Harvard](2011-12-harvard-crimson-men-s-basketball-team)2nd[1946](1946-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[MAAC](2012-maac-men-s-basketball-tournament)[Loyola (MD)](2011-12-loyola-greyhounds-men-s-basketball-team)2nd[1994](1994-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[MAC](2012-mac-men-s-basketball-tournament)[Ohio](2011-12-ohio-bobcats-men-s-basketball-team)12th[2010](2010-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[MEAC](2012-meac-men-s-basketball-tournament)[Norfolk State](2011-12-norfolk-state-spartans-men-s-basketball-team)1stNever
[Missouri Valley](2012-missouri-valley-conference-men-s-basketball-tournament)[Creighton](2011-12-creighton-bluejays-men-s-basketball-team)17th[2007](2007-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[Mountain West](2012-mountain-west-conference-men-s-basketball-tournament)[New Mexico](2011-12-new-mexico-lobos-men-s-basketball-team)13th[2010](2010-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[Northeast](2012-northeast-conference-men-s-basketball-tournament)[Long Island](2011-12-long-island-blackbirds-men-s-basketball-team)5th[2011](2011-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[Ohio Valley](2012-ohio-valley-conference-men-s-basketball-tournament)[Murray State](2011-12-murray-state-racers-men-s-basketball-team)15th[2010](2010-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[Pac-12](2012-pac-12-conference-men-s-basketball-tournament)[Colorado](2011-12-colorado-buffaloes-men-s-basketball-team)11th[2003](2003-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[Patriot](2012-patriot-league-men-s-basketball-tournament)[Lehigh](2011-12-lehigh-mountain-hawks-men-s-basketball-team)5th[2010](2010-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[SEC](2012-sec-men-s-basketball-tournament)[Vanderbilt](2011-12-vanderbilt-commodores-men-s-basketball-team)13th[2011](2011-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[Southern](2012-southern-conference-men-s-basketball-tournament)[Davidson](2011-12-davidson-wildcats-men-s-basketball-team)11th[2008](2008-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[Southland](2012-southland-conference-men-s-basketball-tournament)[Lamar](2011-12-lamar-cardinals-basketball-team)6th[2000](2000-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[SWAC](2012-swac-men-s-basketball-tournament)[Mississippi Valley State](2011-12-mississippi-valley-state-delta-devils-basketball-team)5th[2008](2008-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[Summit](2012-summit-league-men-s-basketball-tournament)[South Dakota State](2011-12-south-dakota-state-jackrabbits-men-s-basketball-team)1stNever
[Sun Belt](2012-sun-belt-conference-men-s-basketball-tournament)[Western Kentucky](2011-12-wku-hilltoppers-basketball-team)22nd[2009](2009-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[West Coast](2012-west-coast-conference-men-s-basketball-tournament)[Saint Mary's](2011-12-saint-mary-s-gaels-men-s-basketball-team)7th[2010](2010-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)
[WAC](2012-wac-men-s-basketball-tournament)[New Mexico State](2011-12-new-mexico-state-aggies-men-s-basketball-team)19th[2010](2010-ncaa-division-i-men-s-basketball-tournament)

Tournament seeds (list by region)

East Regional – Boston, MassachusettsSeedSchoolConferenceRecordBerth typeOverall rank
1[Syracuse](2011-12-syracuse-orange-men-s-basketball-team)Big East31–2At-large2
2[Ohio State](2011-12-ohio-state-buckeyes-men-s-basketball-team)Big Ten27–7At-large7
3[Florida State](2011-12-florida-state-seminoles-men-s-basketball-team)ACC24–9Automatic11
4[Wisconsin](2011-12-wisconsin-badgers-men-s-basketball-team)Big Ten24–9At-large14
5[Vanderbilt](2011-12-vanderbilt-commodores-men-s-basketball-team)SEC24–10Automatic18
6[Cincinnati](2011-12-cincinnati-bearcats-men-s-basketball-team)Big East24–10At-large22
7[Gonzaga](2011-12-gonzaga-bulldogs-men-s-basketball-team)West Coast25–6At-large27
8[Kansas State](2011-12-kansas-state-wildcats-men-s-basketball-team)Big 1221–10At-large32
9[Southern Miss](2011-12-southern-miss-golden-eagles-basketball-team)C-USA25–8At-large35
10[West Virginia](2011-12-west-virginia-mountaineers-men-s-basketball-team)Big East19–13At-large38
11[Texas](2011-12-texas-longhorns-men-s-basketball-team)Big 1220–13At-large43
12[Harvard](2011-12-harvard-crimson-men-s-basketball-team)Ivy League26–4Automatic46
13[Montana](2011-12-montana-grizzlies-men-s-basketball-team)Big Sky25–6Automatic55
14[St. Bonaventure](2011-12-st-bonaventure-bonnies-men-s-basketball-team)Atlantic 1020–11Automatic58
15[Loyola](2011-12-loyola-greyhounds-men-s-basketball-team)MAAC24–8Automatic59
16[UNC Asheville](2011-12-unc-asheville-bulldogs-men-s-basketball-team)Big South24–9Automatic64
Midwest Regional – St. Louis, MissouriSeedSchoolConferenceRecordBerth typeOverall rank
1[North Carolina](2011-12-north-carolina-tar-heels-men-s-basketball-team)ACC29–5At-large3
2[Kansas](2011-12-kansas-jayhawks-men-s-basketball-team)Big 1227–6At-large5
3[Georgetown](2011-12-georgetown-hoyas-men-s-basketball-team)Big East23–8At-large12
4[Michigan](2011-12-michigan-wolverines-men-s-basketball-team)Big Ten24–9At-large13
5[Temple](2011-12-temple-owls-men-s-basketball-team)Atlantic 1024–7At-large17
6[San Diego State](2011-12-san-diego-state-aztecs-men-s-basketball-team)Mountain West26–7At-large24
7[Saint Mary's](2011-12-saint-mary-s-gaels-men-s-basketball-team)West Coast27–5Automatic26
8[Creighton](2011-12-creighton-bluejays-men-s-basketball-team)Missouri Valley28–5Automatic29
9[Alabama](2011-12-alabama-crimson-tide-men-s-basketball-team)SEC21–11At-large33
10[Purdue](2011-12-purdue-boilermakers-men-s-basketball-team)Big Ten21–12At-large37
11[NC State](2011-12-nc-state-wolfpack-men-s-basketball-team)ACC22–12At-large42
12*[California](2011-12-california-golden-bears-men-s-basketball-team)Pac-1224–9At-large45
[South Florida](2011-12-south-florida-bulls-men-s-basketball-team)Big East20–13At-large47
13[Ohio](2011-12-ohio-bobcats-men-s-basketball-team)MAC27–7Automatic52
14[Belmont](2011-12-belmont-bruins-men-s-basketball-team)Atlantic Sun27–7Automatic57
15[Detroit Mercy](2011-12-detroit-titans-men-s-basketball-team)Horizon22–13Automatic61
16*[Lamar](2011-12-lamar-cardinals-men-s-basketball-team)Southland23–11Automatic65
[Vermont](2011-12-vermont-catamounts-men-s-basketball-team)America East23–11Automatic66

|-

South Regional – Atlanta, GeorgiaSeedSchoolConferenceRecordBerth typeOverall rank
1[Kentucky](2011-12-kentucky-wildcats-men-s-basketball-team)SEC32–2At-large1
2[Duke](2011-12-duke-blue-devils-men-s-basketball-team)ACC27–6At-large6
3[Baylor](2011-12-baylor-bears-men-s-basketball-team)Big 1227–7At-large9
4[Indiana](2011-12-indiana-hoosiers-men-s-basketball-team)Big Ten25–8At-large15
5[Wichita State](2011-12-wichita-state-shockers-men-s-basketball-team)Missouri Valley27–5At-large19
6[UNLV](2011-12-unlv-runnin-rebels-men-s-basketball-team)Mountain West26–8At-large21
7[Notre Dame](2011-12-notre-dame-fighting-irish-men-s-basketball-team)Big East22–11At-large25
8[Iowa State](2011-12-iowa-state-cyclones-men-s-basketball-team)Big 1222–10At-large30
9[Connecticut](2011-12-connecticut-huskies-men-s-basketball-team)Big East20–13At-large34
10[Xavier](2011-12-xavier-musketeers-men-s-basketball-team)Atlantic 1021–12At-large40
11[Colorado](2011-12-colorado-buffaloes-men-s-basketball-team)Pac-1223–11Automatic44
12[VCU](2011-12-vcu-rams-men-s-basketball-team)Colonial28–6Automatic49
13[New Mexico State](2011-12-new-mexico-state-aggies-men-s-basketball-team)WAC26–9Automatic54
14[South Dakota State](2011-12-south-dakota-state-jackrabbits-men-s-basketball-team)Summit27–7Automatic56
15[Lehigh](2011-12-lehigh-mountain-hawks-men-s-basketball-team)Patriot26–7Automatic60
16*[Mississippi Valley State](2011-12-mississippi-valley-state-delta-devils-men-s-basketball-team)SWAC21–12Automatic67
[Western Kentucky](2011-12-wku-hilltoppers-basketball-team)Sun Belt15–18Automatic68
West Regional – Phoenix, ArizonaSeedSchoolConferenceRecordBerth typeOverall rank
1[Michigan State](2011-12-michigan-state-spartans-men-s-basketball-team)Big Ten27–7Automatic4
2[Missouri](2011-12-missouri-tigers-men-s-basketball-team)Big 1230–4Automatic8
3[Marquette](2011-12-marquette-golden-eagles-men-s-basketball-team)Big East25–7At-large10
4[Louisville](2011-12-louisville-cardinals-men-s-basketball-team)Big East26–9Automatic16
5[New Mexico](2011-12-new-mexico-lobos-men-s-basketball-team)Mountain West27–6Automatic20
6[Murray State](2011-12-murray-state-racers-men-s-basketball-team)Ohio Valley30–1Automatic23
7[Florida](2011-12-florida-gators-men-s-basketball-team)SEC23–10At-large28
8[Memphis](2011-12-memphis-tigers-men-s-basketball-team)C-USA26–8Automatic31
9[Saint Louis](2011-12-saint-louis-billikens-men-s-basketball-team)Atlantic 1025–7At-large36
10[Virginia](2011-12-virginia-cavaliers-men-s-basketball-team)ACC22–9At-large39
11[Colorado State](2011-12-colorado-state-rams-men-s-basketball-team)Mountain West20–11At-large41
12[Long Beach State](2011-12-long-beach-state-49ers-men-s-basketball-team)Big West25–8Automatic51
13[Davidson](2011-12-davidson-wildcats-men-s-basketball-team)Southern25–7Automatic53
14*[BYU](2011-12-byu-cougars-men-s-basketball-team)West Coast25–8At-large48
[Iona](2011-12-iona-gaels-men-s-basketball-team)MAAC25–7At-large50
15[Norfolk State](2011-12-norfolk-state-spartans-men-s-basketball-team)MEAC25–9Automatic62
16[LIU-Brooklyn](2011-12-long-island-blackbirds-men-s-basketball-team)Northeast25–8Automatic63

|- |} *See First Four.

Bracket

Unless otherwise noted, all times listed are Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-04)

First Four – Dayton, Ohio

The First Four games involved eight teams: the four overall lowest-ranked teams, and the four lowest-ranked at-large teams.

| RD1-seed1= 16 | RD1-team1= Mississippi Valley State | RD1-score1= 58 | RD1-seed2= 16 | RD1-team2= Western Kentucky | RD1-score2= 59 | RD1-seed1= 16 | RD1-team1= Lamar | RD1-score1= 59 | RD1-seed2= 16 | RD1-team2= Vermont | RD1-score2= 71 | RD1-seed1= 14 | RD1-team1= BYU | RD1-score1= 78 | RD1-seed2= 14 | RD1-team2= Iona | RD1-score2= 72 | RD1-seed1= 12 | RD1-team1= California | RD1-score1= 54 | RD1-seed2= 12 | RD1-team2= South Florida | RD1-score2= 65

Both games on March 13 saw historic comebacks:

  • In the opener, Western Kentucky trailed by 16 points with 4:51 remaining before storming back to win 59–58. It was the largest comeback in the last five minutes of an NCAA tournament game; the previous record was 15 by Illinois against Arizona in the 2005 Elite Eight.
  • In the second game of the night, BYU set a record for the largest comeback in an NCAA tournament game, as they were down by 25 points at one point and came back to beat Iona 78–72. The largest previous deficit overcome in the tournament was 22 points by Duke against Maryland in the 2001 national semifinals. In addition, the March 13 session was notable for the attendance of Barack Obama, president of the United States, and David Cameron, prime minister of Great Britain. Cameron was in the U.S. for bilateral political and economic talks with Obama.

South Regional – Atlanta, Georgia

March 17–18 March 23 March 25 | RD1-seed01= 1 | RD1-team01= Kentucky | RD1-score01= 81 | RD1-seed02= 16 | RD1-team02= Western Kentucky | RD1-score02= 66

| RD1-seed03= 8 | RD1-team03= Iowa State | RD1-score03= 77 | RD1-seed04= 9 | RD1-team04= Connecticut | RD1-score04= 64

| RD1-seed05=5 | RD1-team05= Wichita State | RD1-score05= 59 | RD1-seed06=12 | RD1-team06= VCU | RD1-score06= 62

| RD1-seed07= 4 | RD1-team07= Indiana | RD1-score07= 79 | RD1-seed08= 13 | RD1-team08= New Mexico State | RD1-score08= 66

| RD1-seed09= 6 | RD1-team09= UNLV | RD1-score09= 64 | RD1-seed10= 11 | RD1-team10= Colorado | RD1-score10= 68

| RD1-seed11=3 | RD1-team11= Baylor | RD1-score11= 68 | RD1-seed12=14 | RD1-team12= South Dakota State | RD1-score12= 60

| RD1-seed13= 7 | RD1-team13=Notre Dame | RD1-score13= 63 | RD1-seed14= 10 | RD1-team14= Xavier | RD1-score14= 67

| RD1-seed15= 2 | RD1-team15=Duke | RD1-score15= 70 | RD1-seed16= 15 | RD1-team16=Lehigh | RD1-score16= 75

| RD2-seed01= 1 | RD2-team01= Kentucky | RD2-score01= 87 | RD2-seed02= 8 | RD2-team02= Iowa State | RD2-score02= 71

| RD2-seed03= 12 | RD2-team03= VCU | RD2-score03= 61 | RD2-seed04= 4 | RD2-team04= Indiana | RD2-score04= 63

| RD2-seed05= 11 | RD2-team05= Colorado | RD2-score05= 63 | RD2-seed06= 3 | RD2-team06= Baylor | RD2-score06= 80

| RD2-seed07= 10 | RD2-team07= Xavier | RD2-score07= 70 | RD2-seed08= 15 | RD2-team08= Lehigh | RD2-score08= 58

| RD3-seed01= 1 | RD3-team01= Kentucky | RD3-score01= 102 | RD3-seed02= 4 | RD3-team02= Indiana | RD3-score02= 90

| RD3-seed03= 3 | RD3-team03= Baylor | RD3-score03= 75 | RD3-seed04= 10 | RD3-team04= Xavier | RD3-score04= 70

| RD4-seed01=1 | RD4-team01=Kentucky | RD4-score01=82 | RD4-seed02=3 | RD4-team02=Baylor | RD4-score02=70

South Regional all-tournament team

Regional all-tournament team: Quincy Acy, Baylor; Anthony Davis, Kentucky; Doron Lamb, Kentucky; Christian Watford, Indiana.

Regional most outstanding player: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky

West Regional – Phoenix, Arizona

March 17–18 March 22 March 24 | RD1-seed01= 1 | RD1-team01= Michigan State | RD1-score01= 89 | RD1-seed02= 16 | RD1-team02= Long Island | RD1-score02= 67

| RD1-seed03= 8 | RD1-team03= Memphis | RD1-score03= 54 | RD1-seed04= 9 | RD1-team04= Saint Louis | RD1-score04= 61

| RD1-seed05= 5 | RD1-team05=New Mexico | RD1-score05= 75 | RD1-seed06=12 | RD1-team06= Long Beach State | RD1-score06= 68

| RD1-seed07= 4 | RD1-team07= | RD1-score07= 69 | RD1-seed08= 13 | RD1-team08= Davidson | RD1-score08= 62

| RD1-seed09= 6 | RD1-team09= Murray State | RD1-score09= 58 | RD1-seed10= 11 | RD1-team10= Colorado State | RD1-score10= 41

| RD1-seed11= 3 | RD1-team11= Marquette | RD1-score11= 88 | RD1-seed12= 14 | RD1-team12= BYU | RD1-score12= 68

| RD1-seed13= 7 | RD1-team13=Florida | RD1-score13= 71 | RD1-seed14= 10 | RD1-team14= Virginia | RD1-score14= 45

| RD1-seed15= 2 | RD1-team15= Missouri | RD1-score15= 84 | RD1-seed16= 15 | RD1-team16= Norfolk State | RD1-score16= 86

| RD2-seed01= 1 | RD2-team01= Michigan State | RD2-score01= 65 | RD2-seed02= 9 | RD2-team02= Saint Louis | RD2-score02= 61

| RD2-seed03= 5 | RD2-team03= New Mexico | RD2-score03= 56 | RD2-seed04= 4 | RD2-team04= **** | RD2-score04= 59

| RD2-seed05= 6 | RD2-team05= Murray State | RD2-score05= 53 | RD2-seed06= 3 | RD2-team06= Marquette | RD2-score06= 62

| RD2-seed07= 7 | RD2-team07= Florida | RD2-score07= 84 | RD2-seed08= 15 | RD2-team08= Norfolk State | RD2-score08= 50

| RD3-seed01= 1 | RD3-team01= Michigan State | RD3-score01= 44 | RD3-seed02= 4 | RD3-team02= **** | RD3-score02= 57

| RD3-seed03= 3 | RD3-team03= Marquette | RD3-score03= 58 | RD3-seed04= 7 | RD3-team04= Florida | RD3-score04= 68

| RD4-seed01= 4 | RD4-team01= **** | RD4-score01= 72 | RD4-seed02= 7 | RD4-team02= Florida | RD4-score02= 68

West Regional all-tournament team

Regional all-tournament team: Bradley Beal, Florida; Gorgui Dieng, Louisville; Draymond Green, Michigan State; Peyton Siva, Louisville.

Regional most outstanding player: Chane Behanan, Louisville

East Regional – Boston, Massachusetts

March 17–18 March 22 March 24 | RD1-seed01= 1 | RD1-team01= Syracuse | RD1-score01= 72 | RD1-seed02= 16 | RD1-team02= UNC Asheville | RD1-score02= 65

| RD1-seed03= 8 | RD1-team03= Kansas State | RD1-score03= 70 | RD1-seed04= 9 | RD1-team04= Southern Miss | RD1-score04= 64

| RD1-seed05= 5 | RD1-team05= Vanderbilt | RD1-score05= 79 | RD1-seed06= 12 | RD1-team06= Harvard | RD1-score06= 70

| RD1-seed07= 4 | RD1-team07=Wisconsin | RD1-score07= 73 | RD1-seed08= 13 | RD1-team08= Montana | RD1-score08= 49

| RD1-seed09= 6 | RD1-team09= Cincinnati | RD1-score09= 65 | RD1-seed10= 11 | RD1-team10= Texas | RD1-score10= 59

| RD1-seed11= 3 | RD1-team11=Florida State | RD1-score11= 66 | RD1-seed12= 14 | RD1-team12= St. Bonaventure | RD1-score12= 63

| RD1-seed13= 7 | RD1-team13= Gonzaga | RD1-score13= 77 | RD1-seed14= 10 | RD1-team14= West Virginia | RD1-score14= 54

| RD1-seed15= 2 | RD1-team15= Ohio State | RD1-score15= 78 | RD1-seed16= 15 | RD1-team16= Loyola (MD) | RD1-score16= 59

| RD2-seed01= 1 | RD2-team01= Syracuse | RD2-score01= 75 | RD2-seed02= 8 | RD2-team02= Kansas State | RD2-score02= 59

| RD2-seed03= 5 | RD2-team03= Vanderbilt | RD2-score03= 57 | RD2-seed04= 4 | RD2-team04= Wisconsin | RD2-score04= 60

| RD2-seed05= 6 | RD2-team05= Cincinnati | RD2-score05= 62 | RD2-seed06= 3 | RD2-team06= Florida State | RD2-score06= 56

| RD2-seed07= 7 | RD2-team07= Gonzaga | RD2-score07= 66 | RD2-seed08= 2 | RD2-team08= Ohio State | RD2-score08= 73

| RD3-seed01= 1 | RD3-team01= Syracuse | RD3-score01= 64 | RD3-seed02= 4 | RD3-team02= Wisconsin | RD3-score02= 63

| RD3-seed03= 6 | RD3-team03= Cincinnati | RD3-score03= 66 | RD3-seed04= 2 | RD3-team04= Ohio State | RD3-score04= 81

| RD4-seed01= 1 | RD4-team01= Syracuse | RD4-score01= 70 | RD4-seed02= 2 | RD4-team02= Ohio State | RD4-score02= 77

East Regional all-tournament team

Regional all-tournament team: Scoop Jardine, Syracuse; Lenzelle Smith, Jr., Ohio State; Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin; Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State.

Regional most outstanding player: Jared Sullinger, Ohio State

Midwest Regional – St. Louis, Missouri

March 18 March 23 March 25 | RD1-seed01= 1 | RD1-team01= North Carolina | RD1-score01= 77 | RD1-seed02= 16 | RD1-team02= Vermont | RD1-score02= 58

| RD1-seed03= 8 | RD1-team03= Creighton | RD1-score03= 58 | RD1-seed04= 9 | RD1-team04= Alabama | RD1-score04= 57

| RD1-seed05= 5 | RD1-team05= Temple | RD1-score05= 44 | RD1-seed06= 12 | RD1-team06= South Florida | RD1-score06= 58

| RD1-seed07= 4 | RD1-team07=Michigan | RD1-score07= 60 | RD1-seed08= 13 | RD1-team08= Ohio | RD1-score08= 65

| RD1-seed09=6 | RD1-team09= San Diego State | RD1-score09= 65 | RD1-seed10= 11 | RD1-team10= NC State | RD1-score10= 79

| RD1-seed11= 3 | RD1-team11= Georgetown | RD1-score11= 74 | RD1-seed12= 14 | RD1-team12= Belmont | RD1-score12= 59

| RD1-seed13= 7 | RD1-team13=Saint Mary's | RD1-score13= 69 | RD1-seed14= 10 | RD1-team14= Purdue | RD1-score14= 72

| RD1-seed15= 2 | RD1-team15= Kansas | RD1-score15= 65 | RD1-seed16= 15 | RD1-team16= Detroit | RD1-score16= 50

| RD2-seed01= 1 | RD2-team01= North Carolina | RD2-score01= 87 | RD2-seed02= 8 | RD2-team02= Creighton | RD2-score02= 73

| RD2-seed03= 12 | RD2-team03= South Florida | RD2-score03= 56 | RD2-seed04= 13 | RD2-team04= Ohio | RD2-score04= 62

| RD2-seed05= 11 | RD2-team05= NC State | RD2-score05= 66 | RD2-seed06= 3 | RD2-team06= Georgetown | RD2-score06= 63

| RD2-seed07= 10 | RD2-team07= Purdue | RD2-score07= 60 | RD2-seed08= 2 | RD2-team08= Kansas | RD2-score08= 63

| RD3-seed01= 1 | RD3-team01= North Carolina | RD3-score01= 73OT | RD3-seed02= 13 | RD3-team02= Ohio | RD3-score02= 65

| RD3-seed03= 11 | RD3-team03= NC State | RD3-score03= 57 | RD3-seed04= 2 | RD3-team04= Kansas | RD3-score04= 60

| RD4-seed01= 1 | RD4-team01= North Carolina | RD4-score01= 67 | RD4-seed02= 2 | RD4-team02= Kansas | RD4-score02= 80

Midwest Regional all-tournament team

Regional all-tournament team: Walter Offutt, Ohio; Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas; Jeff Withey, Kansas; Tyler Zeller, North Carolina.

Regional most outstanding player: Thomas Robinson, Kansas

Final Four – Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Final Four Saturday, March 31 Monday, April 2 | score-width=25 | team-width=130 | RD1-seed1= S1 | RD1-team1= Kentucky | RD1-score1= 69 | RD1-seed2= W4 | RD1-team2= | RD1-score2= 61 | RD1-seed3= E2 | RD1-team3= Ohio State | RD1-score3= 62 | RD1-seed4= MW2 | RD1-team4= Kansas | RD1-score4= 64 | RD2-seed1= S1 | RD2-team1= Kentucky | RD2-score1= 67 | RD2-seed2= MW2 | RD2-team2= Kansas | RD2-score2= 59

On February 20, 2018, the NCAA announced that the wins and records for the 2011–12 season and Louisville's 2012–13, 2013–14, and 2014–15 seasons were vacated due to the sex scandal at Louisville. Unlike forfeiture, a vacated game does not result in the other school being credited with a win, only with Louisville removing the wins from its own record.

Final Four all-tournament team

Final Four all-tournament team: Anthony Davis, Kentucky; Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky; Doron Lamb, Kentucky; Thomas Robinson, Kansas; Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas

Final Four most outstanding player: Anthony Davis, Kentucky

Game summaries

Final Four

National Championship

Main article: 2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game

Kentucky celebrating their 2012 NCAA Championship

Record by conference

Conference# of BidsRecordWin %R64R32S16E8F4CGNC
[SEC](2011-12-southeastern-conference-men-s-basketball-season)410–34322111
[Big 12](2011-12-big-12-conference-men-s-basketball-season)610–6642211
[Big Ten](2011-12-big-ten-conference-men-s-basketball-season)611–665411
[Big East](2011-12-big-east-conference-men-s-basketball-season)914–996421
[ACC](2011-12-atlantic-coast-conference-men-s-basketball-season)56–55321
[Atlantic 10](2011-12-atlantic-10-conference-men-s-basketball-season)43–4421
MAC12–11110
Mountain West41–4410
[WCC](2011-12-west-coast-conference-men-s-basketball-season)32–3310
MVC21–2210
[CAA](2011-12-colonial-athletic-association-men-s-basketball-season)11–1110
MEAC11–1110
OVC11–1110
Patriot11–1110
[Pac-12](2011-12-pac-12-conference-men-s-basketball-season)21–2110
[C-USA](2011-12-conference-usa-men-s-basketball-season)20–220
MAAC20–210
America East11–110
Sun Belt11–110
Atlantic Sun10–110
Big Sky10–110
Big South10–110
Big West10–110
Horizon10–110
[Ivy](2011-12-ivy-league-men-s-basketball-season)10–110
NEC10–110
Southern10–110
Summit10–110
WAC10–110
Southland10–10
SWAC10–10
  • The R64, R32, S16, E8, F4, CG, and NC columns indicate how many teams from each conference were in the round of 64 (second round), round of 32 (third round), Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four, championship game, and national champion, respectively.

Media

Television

2012 marked the second year of a 14-year partnership between CBS Sports and Turner Broadcasting cable networks TBS, TNT and truTV to cover the entire tournament under the NCAA March Madness banner. CBS aired the Final Four and championship rounds for the 31st consecutive year.

Studio hosts

  • Greg Gumbel (New York City and New Orleans) – second round, Third round, regionals, Final Four and national championship game
  • Ernie Johnson Jr. (New York City and Atlanta) – First Four, Second round, Third round and Regional Semi-Finals
  • Matt Winer (Atlanta) – First Four, Second round and Third round

Studio analysts

  • Greg Anthony (New York City and New Orleans) – First Four, second round, Third round, regionals, Final Four and national championship game
  • Charles Barkley (New York City and New Orleans) – First Four, second round, Third round, regionals, Final Four and national championship game
  • Mike Brey (Atlanta) – third round
  • Seth Davis (Atlanta and New Orleans) – First Four, second round, Third round, Regional Semi-Finals, Final Four and national championship game
  • Steve Lavin (New York City) – third round
  • Frank Martin (New York City) – Regional Finals
  • Shaka Smart (Atlanta) – Regional Semi-Finals
  • Kenny Smith (New York City and New Orleans) – First Four, second round, Third round, regionals, Final Four and national championship game
  • Steve Smith (Atlanta) – First Four, second round, Third round and Regional Semi-Finals
  • Jay Wright (Atlanta) – First Four and Second Round

Commentary teams

  • Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg/Steve Kerr/Tracy Wolfson – First Four at Dayton, Ohio; Second and third round at Greensboro, North Carolina; South Regionals at Atlanta, Georgia; Final Four at New Orleans, Louisiana Kerr joined Nantz and Kellogg during the First Four, Final Four, and national championship games
  • Marv Albert/Steve Kerr/Craig Sager – Second and third round at Omaha, Nebraska; Midwest Regionals at St. Louis, Missouri
  • Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery/Lesley Visser – Second and third round at Louisville, Kentucky; East Regionals at Boston, Massachusetts
  • Kevin Harlan/Len Elmore/Reggie Miller/Marty Snider – Second and third round at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; West Regionals at Phoenix, Arizona
  • Ian Eagle/Jim Spanarkel/Lewis Johnson – First Four at Dayton, Ohio; Second and third round at Nashville, Tennessee
  • Brian Anderson/Dan Bonner/Jenn Hildreth – Second and third round at Portland, Oregon
  • Tim Brando/Mike Gminski/Otis Livingston – Second and third round at Columbus, Ohio
  • Spero Dedes/Bob Wenzel/Jaime Maggio – Second and third round at Albuquerque, New Mexico

Number of games per network

  • CBS: 26
  • TBS: 16
  • TruTV: 13
  • TNT: 12

Radio

Dial Global Sports (formerly Westwood One) and SiriusXM have live broadcasts of all 67 games.

First Four

  • Dave Ryan and Alaa Abdelnaby – at Dayton, Ohio

Second and third round

  • Kevin Calabro and Bill Frieder – Second and third round at Portland, Oregon
  • Dave Sims and Michael Cage – Second and third round at Albuquerque, New Mexico
  • Scott Graham and Kevin Grevey – Second and third round at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • Ted Robinson and Kyle Macy – Second and third round at Louisville, Kentucky
  • Wayne Larrivee and John Thompson – Second and third round at Columbus, Ohio
  • Kevin Kugler and Tom Brennan – Second and third round at Omaha, Nebraska
  • Brad Sham and Pete Gillen – Second and third round at Nashville, Tennessee
  • Gary Cohen and Reid Gettys – Second and third round at Greensboro, North Carolina

Regionals

  • Kevin Kugler and Pete Gillen – East Regional at Boston, Massachusetts
  • Wayne Larrivee and Fran Fraschilla – Midwest Regional at St. Louis, Missouri
  • Ian Eagle and John Thompson – South Regional at Atlanta, Georgia
  • Dave Sims and Bill Frieder – West Regional at Phoenix, Arizona

Final Four

  • Kevin Kugler, John Thompson and Bill Raftery – New Orleans, Louisiana

Courts

All tournament sites continued to use the uniform courts that were first introduced tournament-wide in 2010, except for a slight variation at the East Regionals in Boston at the TD Garden, where a parquet floor court pattern similar to that used by the hometown Boston Celtics was used.

References

References

  1. [https://www.espn.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post?id=57282 Davis, Withey will host block party in final] ESPN.com, April 1, 2012
  2. "2013 NCAA tournament: Bracket, scores, stats, records | NCAA.com".
  3. "2014 NCAA tournament: Bracket, scores, stats, records | NCAA.com".
  4. "2015 NCAA tournament: Bracket, scores, stats, records | NCAA.com".
  5. "2016 NCAA tournament: Bracket, scores, stats, records | NCAA.com".
  6. "2017 NCAA tournament: Bracket, scores, stats, records | NCAA.com".
  7. "2018 NCAA tournament: Bracket, scores, stats, records | NCAA.com".
  8. "2019 NCAA tournament: Bracket, scores, stats, records | NCAA.com".
  9. "2021 Division I Men's Basketball Official Bracket | NCAA.com".
  10. "2022 Division I Men's Basketball Official Bracket | NCAA.com".
  11. "2023 Division I Men's Basketball Official Bracket | NCAA.com".
  12. "2024 Division I Men's Basketball Official Bracket | NCAA.com".
  13. [https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/2012/story/_/id/7719220/ncaa-tournament-2012-pride-ohio-four-teams-state-reach-sweet-16 Ohio is more than just Buckeye State] ESPN.com, March 21, 2012
  14. [https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2012-03-11/hardcore-breakdown-bracket 'Hardcore' breakdown of bracket] {{Webarchive. link. (2016-04-12 NCAA, March 11, 2012)
  15. [http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/10107964/2012-NCAA-tournament-information 2012 NCAA tournament information]{{dead link. (June 2017)
  16. [https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/2011-06-27/first-four-remain-dayton First Four to remain in Dayton] {{Webarchive. link. (2018-02-21 NCAA, July 8, 2011)
  17. (March 13, 2012). "Western Kentucky rallies from 16 down in final 5 minutes to win". ESPN.com.
  18. (March 13, 2012). "BYU rallies from 25-point deficit to shock Iona". ESPN.com.
  19. "Three 'Cats on South Regional all-tournament team". [[CBS Sports]].
  20. (March 25, 2012). "Michigan State's Draymond Green honored for NCAA tournament performance".
  21. "Ohio State 77, Syracuse 70: Bucks don't stop here". [[Metro West Daily News]].
  22. "Robinson the biggest of KU's big guys". [[Kansas City Star]].
  23. (February 20, 2018). "Louisville men's basketball must vacate wins and pay fine".
  24. "NCAA All-Tournament Teams - NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBSSports.com".
  25. "Television | Sports Media Journal | Page 8". Sports Media Journal.
  26. (2012-02-23). "NCAA Tourney TV teams announced | Sportscasters Talent Agency of America". Staatalent.com.
  27. (2012-03-12). "NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tourney Schedule with Announcer Assignments". Sports Media Journal.
  28. (2012-03-19). "CBS/Turner NCAA basketball announcer gigs for Sweet 16". Content.usatoday.com.
  29. Greenberg, Chris. (March 11, 2012). "NCAA Tournament 2012 Schedule: Times, Announcers For First And Second Games". Huffingtonpost.com.
  30. "Television | Sports Media Journal | Page 4". Sports Media Journal.
  31. "Television | Sports Media Journal | Page 5". Sports Media Journal.
  32. (January 5, 2012). "A New Name on the Airwaves". Dial Global Sports Inc..
  33. (March 8, 2012). "SiriusXM Offers Every Game Of The 2012 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship". SiriusXM Radio Inc..
  34. (March 12, 2012). "Your First & Second Round NCAA Tournament announcing schedule".
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