KU Jayhawks take gaudy spread into 1st-round NCAA tourney matchup vs. Cal Baptist
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- KU faces Cal Baptist in NCAA opener; Kansas favored by 14.5.
- Darryn Peterson says he’s fully healthy after an uneven season and poor recent shooting.
- Analyst projects Kansas to cover, noting that this is Cal Baptist's first foray in NCAAs.
The Kansas Jayhawks open the NCAA Tournament against California Baptist on Friday night in San Diego.
These teams had different experiences in their most recent games: No. 4-seeded KU (23-10) lost to Houston in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals, while No. 13 Cal Baptist beat Utah Valley in the WAC Tournament finals.
This is the first NCAA Tournament appearance for the Lancers, whose campus is located not far from San Diego, in Riverside, California.
Here is more about Friday’s game, including a scouting report and prediction:
Kansas basketball vs. Cal Baptist: Game details
When: 8:45 p.m. Central Time on Friday
Where: Viejas Arena, San Diego, California
TV/streaming: CBS
Opponent’s record: 25-8
KenPom (Ken Pomeroy) ranking: 106
Betting line: KU by 14.5.
All statistics are from KenPom.com and EvanMiya. KenPom stats include only Division-I competition.
Cal Baptist Strengths
- Crashing the glass: Cal Baptist ranks No. 11 in offensive rebounding percentage (37.8).
- Nothing easy inside the arc: Opponents are shooting just 47.3% on 2-pointers vs. Cal Baptist, which ranks No. 6 in the nation.
- Great defense: The Lancers rank No. 52 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency (101.9), which measures the number of points allowed per 100 possessions, adjusted for opponent.
Cal Baptist Weaknesses
- Scoring concerns: Cal Baptist ranks No. 302 in effective field goal percentage (48.6)
- Struggles inside the arc: The Lancers rank No. 319 in two-point percentage (28.1).
- Turnover prone: Cal Baptist ranks No. 278 in turnover percentage (18.1).
Cal Baptist Name to Know
5-foot-10 senior guard Dominique Daniels Jr. (No. 1)
+ Elite scorer (23.2 points per game)
+ Solid rebounder (3.7 per game)
+ Pest on defense (1 steal per game)
+ Good at the line (shooting 81.5% on free throws)
- OK shooter (32.8% on 3-pointers)
- Turnover prone (2.5 per game)
Kansas-Cal Baptist game prediction
This is an interesting matchup because these teams are similar in both strengths and weaknesses.
The Lancers are defense-oriented, led by a star player who must at times carry the offense. Sound familiar?
I don’t expect Cal Baptist to upset KU Friday, but here’s why covering the game’s gaudy 14.5-point spread could get interesting for the Jayhawks: While their league isn’t the strongest, the Lancers rank top-50 in multiple important defensive categories.
On top of that, Cal Baptist gets rebounds.
These things could cause some trouble for KU, as we’ve seen throughout the season. But the bottom line is that I don’t think the Lancers have the talent to match up. I see the Jayhawks finally getting back in their groove offensively.
Prediction: Kansas 78, Cal Baptist 62
Shreyas’ pick to cover the spread: Kansas (-14.5)
Shreyas’ season record: 26-7
Shreyas’ record against the spread: 21-11
Player to Watch: Darryn Peterson
It’s now or never for KU freshman Darryn Peterson.
It’s no secret the future NBA Draft pick has had a tumultuous season ... but now he says he’s fully healthy. He hasn’t played great basketball of late — he’s 36.3% from the field and 27.3% from deep in his last seven games — but I expect Peterson to have a bounceback game Friday.
After that, we’ll see what happens.
This story was originally published March 19, 2026 at 11:12 AM.
