Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self talks to the crowd following the Sunflower Showdown game inside Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas, on Saturday, March 7, 2026. Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Preview: Kansas vs Cal Baptist in NCAA Tournament

Originally posted on Kansas Jayhawks on SI
By Joshua Schulman | Last updated Mar 19, 2026 12:29 AM ET

Kansas is gearing up to play its first-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament against No. 13 seed Cal Baptist. The Jayhawks are looking to avenge their Round of 64 exit last year with a deep run led by star freshman Darryn Peterson.

KU's opener is one of the latest games of the first round, so it's important to remember all the details heading into tip-off. Here is all the information you should know before tomorrow.

How to Watch Kansas vs. Cal Baptist

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Who: No. 13 seed California Baptist Lancers (25-8, 13-5) vs. No. 4 seed Kansas Jayhawks (23-10, 12-6)
What: Round of 64 matchup in the NCAA Tournament
When: Friday, March 20 at 8:45 p.m CT.
Where: Viejas Arena (12,414) in San Diego, CA.
TV/Streaming: CBS (To access link, CLICK HERE)
TV Announcers: Kevin Harlan (Play-by-Play), Stan Van Gundy (Analyst), Robbie Hummel (Analyst), Lauren Shehadi (Sideline)
Radio: As always, fans can tune into Jayhawk Radio Network to listen to the Voice of the Jayhawks, Brian Hanni, call the contest (810 AM, 1510 AM, 99.3 FM in Kansas City, 94.7 KSKU, 99.3/1370 KIOL in Wichita). The pregame show begins an hour and 45 minutes prior to tip-off at 7 p.m CT.
Radio announcers: Brian Hanni (play-by-play)
This season: Kansas finished third in the Big 12 with a 12-6 league record, where it would be eliminated by Houston in the semifinals of the conference tournament. Some of its best wins include victories over Arizona and Iowa State, and the Jayhawks hold a 5-2 record on neutral sites this year. Meanwhile, Cal Baptist clinched its first-ever tournament appearance with a two-point win over top-seeded Utah Valley in the WAC Tournament. The program's 25 wins are already the most it has attained since joining Division I.
Series history: The Jayhawks and Lancers have never played against each other, making this the first meeting in the all-time series. CBU has only been a Division I school since 2018. It previously played at the NAIA level until 2011, when it moved up to Division II.

Meet the Coaches

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Rick Croy, Cal Baptist: An alum of San Francisco State, Croy is in his 13th year at the helm in Riverside. He has amassed a 275-136 record across his tenure, and this will be the first NCAA Tournament game he has coached in since he was an assistant on Randy Bennett's staff at Saint Mary's.
Bill Self, Kansas: Self has never faced off against Cal Baptist before, but as KU's head coach, he is 18-3 in Round of 64 matchups in March Madness.