California Teams Eye Cinderella Runs in March Madness

UCLA leads the way, but other California schools look to pull off upsets in the NCAA Tournament

Mar. 19, 2026 at 10:05am

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The 2026 NCAA men's basketball tournament features several California teams looking to make Cinderella runs, including first-time tournament qualifiers California Baptist and Santa Clara, as well as perennial participant Saint Mary's College. Experts predict these teams could pull off some big upsets and bust brackets along the way.

Why it matters

California has long been a hotbed for college basketball talent, and these teams represent the state's potential to produce March Madness magic. A deep tournament run by any of these squads would generate excitement and national attention for California basketball.

The details

California Baptist, Santa Clara, and Saint Mary's College have all earned bids to the 2026 NCAA Tournament. California Baptist is making its first-ever tournament appearance, while Santa Clara is back for the first time since 1996 when they were led by Steve Nash. Saint Mary's is making its fifth straight tournament appearance but has struggled to advance past the first or second round in recent years.

  • The 2026 NCAA men's basketball tournament begins on March 19, 2026.
  • California Baptist plays Kansas on March 20 at 6:45 p.m. PT.
  • Santa Clara faces Kentucky on March 20 at 9:15 a.m. PT.
  • Saint Mary's takes on Texas A&M on March 19 at 4:35 p.m. PT.

The players

Dominique Daniels Jr.

A 5-foot-10 senior guard for California Baptist who was one of the best scorers in college basketball this season, averaging 23.2 points per game.

Christian Hammond

A sophomore who leads Santa Clara's high-powered offense that can score 80 points or more with relative ease.

Herb Sendek

The head coach of Santa Clara, who has previously won NCAA Tournament games with three different schools.

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What they’re saying

“This is Santa Clara's first NCAA Tournament bid in 30 years. It got here with an offense that can score 80-plus points with relative ease. Two wins against Saint Mary's proved Santa Clara's mettle.”

— Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAY Sports

“CBU is making its NCAA Tournament debut after a strong finish to the year, winning 15 of its last 17 and taking the WAC Tournament. It has one of the nation's best scorers in Dominique Daniels Jr. (23.2 ppg), who led the WAC in points and is averaging 32 ppg over his last three games.”

— Owen O'Brien, CBS Sports

What’s next

The first-round matchups for the California teams will take place on March 20, with the potential for some big upsets if they can advance past the opening round.

The takeaway

California's representation in the 2026 NCAA Tournament showcases the depth of basketball talent in the state, and the potential for these Cinderella teams to make deep tournament runs and capture the nation's attention.