Kansas Secures No. 4 Seed in Stacked East Region

Jayhawks to Face No. 13 Cal Baptist in NCAA Tournament First Round

Mar. 16, 2026 at 12:33pm

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The Kansas Jayhawks secured a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament's East Region, which features a loaded field including No. 1 seed Duke, No. 2 UConn, and No. 3 Michigan State. Kansas will open against No. 13 seed Cal Baptist in the first round, with a potential matchup against No. 5 St. John's and legendary coach Rick Pitino looming in the second round.

Why it matters

Kansas is hoping to make a deep tournament run this year after failing to advance past the first weekend since winning the national title in 2022. The Jayhawks have struggled at times this season, but the team has the talent to make noise, led by star guard Darryn Peterson. The East Region is stacked, however, presenting a major challenge for Kansas to navigate.

The details

Kansas earned a No. 4 seed in the East Region, where they will face No. 13 seed Cal Baptist in the first round. The Lancers finished the regular season 24-8 and won the Western Athletic Conference, led by leading scorer Dominique Daniels Jr. (23.2 PPG). If Kansas advances, they could face No. 5 seed St. John's and legendary coach Rick Pitino in the second round, with a potential matchup against No. 1 seed Duke looming in the Sweet 16.

  • The first-round matchup between No. 4 Kansas and No. 13 Cal Baptist will take place on Friday, March 20 in San Diego.
  • The second-round game, featuring the winner of Kansas/Cal Baptist against the winner of No. 5 St. John's and No. 12 Northern Iowa, is scheduled for Sunday, March 22 in San Diego.

The players

Darryn Peterson

The star guard for the Kansas Jayhawks, who will be counted on to lead the team's offense and make a deep tournament run.

Dominique Daniels Jr.

The leading scorer for No. 13 seed Cal Baptist, averaging 23.2 points per game on 44.4% shooting.

Bill Self

The head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks, who is seeking his first Final Four appearance since the team's national title in 2022.

Rick Pitino

The head coach of the No. 5 seed St. John's Red Storm, a legendary figure in college basketball who could face off against Bill Self and Kansas in the second round.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee

What’s next

The winner of the Kansas-Cal Baptist first-round matchup will face the winner of No. 5 St. John's and No. 12 Northern Iowa in the second round on Sunday, March 22 in San Diego.

The takeaway

Kansas has a challenging path ahead in the stacked East Region, but the team has the talent and experience to make a deep tournament run if they can get past some tough early-round opponents. The Jayhawks will need to shore up their recent struggles and get star guard Darryn Peterson playing at a high level to advance.