Kansas vs. Cal Baptist: Preview, game notes, and more

What: No. 4 seed Kansas vs. No. 13 seed Cal Baptist

Where: San Diego, Calif. * Viejas Arena (11,559)

When: Friday, March 20, 2026 * 8:45 p.m. (CT) — NCAA Tournament – Round of 64

Television: CBS

Play-by-Play: Kevin Harlan

Analysts: Robbie Hummel, Stan Van Gundy

Reporter: Lauren Shehadi

Producer: Craig Silver

Director: Andy Freeman

Radio: Jayhawk Radio Network

Webcast: KUAthletics.com/Radio

Play-by-Play: Brian Hanni

Analyst: Greg Gurley

Producer/Engineer: Steve Kincaid

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Early on Sunday evening, the field of 68 was announced, region by region, which means “March Madness” is officially underway.

Kansas, the No. 4 seed in the East Region, will enter NCAA Tournament play with an overall record of 23-10 and 12-6 in the Big 12 (3rd place finish). Bill Self‘s squad will face No. 13 seed Cal Baptist in the first round on Friday night in San Diego, California.

Kansas and Cal Baptist will tip from Viejas Arena at 8:45 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised on CBS. The first-round matchup will be the first-ever meeting between the Jayhawks and Lancers.

Self, shortly after the field of 68 was announced, was asked about KU’s draw.

“I have never liked a draw, ever,” said Self. “Its San Diego, you know, if you can’t go to St. Louis or Oklahoma City, that’d be my next pick for sure. So, yeah, I like where we’re going. And I actually like that it’s on Friday. So, you know, just to give us an extra day so we could use some practice time. So I like that.

“You know, we’re studying Cal Baptist,” he added. “I don’t know as much — I know who the coach is and where they are and the league and winning it and all that stuff. And I know they got, you know, Dominique (Daniels, Jr.), if I’m not mistaken, is averaging about 22 or 23 (points). And he shot 180-something threes this year, so I know that that’ll be a top priority, but I’m looking forward to studying him tonight and have a better feel and a better book on him.”

TIPOFF

No. 4 seed Kansas (23-10) will face No. 13 seed California Baptist (25-8) in
the NCAA Tournament Round of 64, Friday, March 20, at Viejas Arena in
San Diego, California. The contest will tip at 8:45 p.m. Central and will be
televised on CBS.

Kansas is making its 53rd NCAA Championship appearance and has a 113-51
record in the event. The Jayhawks are 47-5 all-time in NCAA Championship
first-round games, including 37-3 since 1981. Kansas has advanced to 31
Sweet 16s, 15 Final Fours, and four of its six national championships have
been in NCAA Championship format (1952, 1988, 2008, 2022). Note: These
include the 2018 vacated wins.

Kansas and California Baptist will meet for the first time in men’s
basketball.

Since seeding began in 1979, Kansas is the No. 4 seed for the seventh time
and the first time since the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Kansas is 9-6 all-time
as a No. 4 seed.

Kansas is coming off a 69-47 loss against No. 5 Houston on March 13 in the
Big 12 Tournament semifinals. California Baptist won the WAC Tournament,
defeating Utah Valley, 63-61, earning the league’s automatic bid.

Through games of March 12, Kansas’ strength of schedule is second in NCAA
D1 is only trailing Michigan. In the Bill Self era, Kansas has ranked in the top
five of strength of schedule 10 times and No. 1 six times (2005, 2025, 2015,
2019, 2020, 2023).

Kansas has played 13 teams in the 2026 NCAA Championship field and has
posted a combined record of 10-7 against those opponents.

Kansas is No. 21 in the NET report by the NCAA through games of March 15.
To show the strength of the Big 12, the No. 21 rank is fifth in the Big 12 behind
No. 3 Arizona, No. 5 Houston, No. 6 Iowa State, and No. 19 Texas Tech. Kansas’
strength of schedule is No. 2 nationally, only trailing Michigan.

Kansas leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense at 38.7%, which is
fifth nationally, three-point field goal percentage defense at 30.2%, which is
19th nationally, and blocked shots at 5.8, which is sixth nationally.

ABOUT KANSAS

No. 17 Kansas (23-10, 12-6) is coming off a 69-47 loss to No.
5 Houston in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals, March 13, at
T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

Kansas is averaging 76.5 points per game and has a plus-6.2
scoring margin. KU pulls down 38.8 rebounds per contest
with a plus-2.2 rebound margin. KU averages 14.3 assists, 5.5
steals, and 5.7 blocked shots per contest. KU leads the Big
12 in field goal percentage defense at 38.8%, which is sixth
nationally, and three-point field goal percentage defense at
30.7%, which is 35th nationally. KU also leads the Big 12 in
blocked shots (5.7), which is sixth nationally.

An Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention, All-Big
12 Second Team and All-Freshman Team selection, freshman
guard Darryn Peterson leads Kansas with a 19.8 scoring
average. He has averaged 21.7 points in his last three outings,
which include 24 points against TCU (3/12) in the Big 12
quarterfinals, Peterson has 10 games of 20 or more points. He
is tied for the team lead with 56 threes made in 22 games
played this season. Peterson is on most every national player
of the year watch list.

Senior guard Tre White is second on the team with seven
double-doubles this season, and he is tied with Peterson
with 56 three-point field goals made. White is averaging 13.8
points and 6.7 rebounds per contest. White leads Kansas with
117 free throws made, and his 86.7 free throw percentage ranks
second in the Big 12.

The Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, All-Big 12 First Team
and All-Defensive Team selection, sophomore center Flory
Bidunga is on the Naismith Trophy Late-Season List, the
Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List, and he is
a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year finalist. He scores
13.5 points per contest and leads KU with 9.2 rebounds per
outing. Bidunga has pulled down 10 or more rebounds in his
last two and three of his last four games. He has a team-best
13 double-doubles for the season, which is second in the Big 12
and 23rd nationally. Bidunga leads the Big 12 with 87 blocked
shots, which is fourth nationally. His 2.64 blocks per game are
third nationally and leads the league, and his 64.5 field goal
percentage leads the Big 12 and is eighth nationally. Bidunga
is 12-for-15 (80%) from the field in his last three games. At 13.5
ppg, 9.2 rpg, and 2.6 bpg, Bidunga is the only player in the NCAA
Division I to average more than 13.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and
2.5 blocked shots per game.

The Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, All-Newcomer Team and All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection, senior guard Melvin Council Jr. is averaging 12.9 points per contest. He leads Kansas with 169 assists and with 35 steals. Council is seventh in the Big 12, 45th nationally, with a 2.82 assist-to-turnover ratio Council recorded his second double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 assists against Kansas State (3/7).

Redshirt-freshman forward Bryson Tiller averages 8.2 points
and 6.0 rebounds per contest. Tiller is second on the team
with 44 blocked shots and has started 29 games this season
for KU.

Redshirt-sophomore guard Elmarko Jackson (4.9 ppg, 24
steals), redshirt-sophomore guard Jamari McDowell (3.5 ppg,
30 threes), freshman Kohl Rosario (3.3, 17 threes), and senior
guard Jayden Dawson (2.1 ppg, 12 threes) round out the KU
regulars.

ABOUT CALIFORNIA BAPTIST

Located in Riverside, California, California Baptist is 25-8
overall and finished tied for second in the WAC with a 13-5
league record. The Lancers earned the WAC automatic bid
winning their conference tournament with wins versus Utah
Tech, 86-72, on March 13 and against Utah Valley, 63-61,
on March 14. California Baptist is coached by Rick Croy who
is 275-136 in his 13th season at CBU and 405-171 in his 18th
season overall, which includes five seasons at Citrus junior
college.

California Baptist averages 73.0 points per game and has a
plus-5.5 scoring margin. The Lancers pull down 39.9 rebounds
per contest and leads the WAC, and is 18th nationally, with a
plus 7.4 rebound margin. CBU also averages 10.3 assists, 5.5
steals, and 2.9 blocked shots per game.

Graduate guard Dominique Daniels Jr. ranks fifth nationally
with a 23.2 scoring average. He has made a team-high 61
threes and 176 free throws with an 81.5 free throw percentage.
Daniels also leads the team with 103 assists and has 32 steals.
Senior guard Martel Williams is next in scoring at 12.7 points
per game. He has made 36 threes this season. Graduate
guard Jayden Jackson (9.3 ppg) is second on the team with
54 threes made. Junior forward Jonathan Griman (6.1 ppg)
leads CBU with 28 blocked shots and he is second on the team
with a 5.9 rebounds per game average. Senior forward Devon
Malcolm (5.9 ppg, team-best 6.6 rpg), junior forward Thomas
Ndong (5.0 ppg), sophomore forward Bradey Henige (4.9
ppg, 5.5 rpg), and freshman forward Jordan Müller (4.5 ppg)
round out the CBU regulars.

THE KANSAS-CALIFORNIA BAPTIST SERIES

This will be the first meeting between Kansas and California
Baptist in men’s basketball.

A KANSAS WIN WOULD…

Make Kansas 24-10 on the season … Give Kansas 24 wins in 19
of Bill Self’s 23 seasons at Kansas … Make Kansas 6-2 in neutral
site games this season … Improve Kansas to 114-51 in the NCAA
Tournament … Make KU 38-3 in its last 41 NCAA Tournament
round-of-64 games, beginning in 1981 … Make Kansas 8-1 against
the No. 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament and 10-6 as the No.
4 seed … Make the Kansas-California series 1-0 in favor of the
Jayhawks … Make Bill Self 633-166 while at Kansas, 840-271 all-time, and 54-24 all-time in the NCAA Tournament (44-19 while at Kansas) … Make Kansas 2,440-919 all-time.

A KANSAS LOSS WOULD…

End Kansas’ season at 23-11 … Make Kansas 5-3 in neutral site
games this season … Drop Kansas to 113-52 all-time in the
NCAA Tournament … Make Kansas 37-4 in first round games
in the NCAA Tournament since 1981 … Make Kansas 7-2 versus
the No. 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament and 9-7 as the No. 4
seed … Make the Kansas-California Baptist series 1-0 in favor
of CBU … Make Bill Self 632-167 while at KU, 839-272 all-time
and 53-25 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, 43-20 while at
Kansas … Make KU 2,437-920 all-time.