KU basketball vs. Cal Baptist in NCAA Tournament: Probable starters, time & TV
The Kansas Jayhawks will meet Cal Baptist at 8:45 p.m. Central on Friday at Viejas Arena in San Diego. It’s a Round of 64 game in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Here’s what you need to know before tipoff:
Cal Baptist vs. Kansas: How to watch
When: 8:45 p.m. Central, Friday
Where: Viejas Arena
TV: CBS
Radio: WHB (810) in Kansas City; ESPN Wichita (92.3 FM)
Probable Starters
KANSAS (23-10)
F (No. 40) — Flory Bidunga, 6-10, Soph., 13.5 ppg
F (15) — Bryson Tiller, 6-11, Fr., 8.2
G (3) — Tre White, 6-7, Sr., 13.8
G (14) — Melvin Council Jr., 6-4, Sr., 12.9
G (22) — Darryn Peterson, 6-6, Fr., 19.8
CAL BAPTIST (25-8)
F (No. 42) — Bradley Henige, 7-0, Soph., 4.9 ppg.
F (8) —Jonathan Griman, 6-11, Jr., 6.1
F (33) — Martel Williams, 6-3, Sr., 12.7
G (3) — Jayden Jackson., 6-4, Sr., 9.3
G (1) — Dominique Daniels, 5-10, Sr., 23.2
About No. 4 seed Kansas (23-10)
Kansas is making its 53rd NCAA championship appearance and has a 113-51 record in the event. The Jayhawks are 47-6 all-time in NCAA championship first-round games, including 37-3 since 1981. … Kansas has advanced to 31 Sweet 16s, 15 Final Fours and won four national titles in the current format (1952, 1988, 2008, 2022). . …
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 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 through games of March 15. … Kansas’ strength of schedule is No. 2 nationally, only trailing Michigan. …
Ranked No. 17 in the latest Associated Press poll, Kansas averages 76.5 points per game and has a plus-6.2 scoring margin. KU secures 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. ...
KU leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense at 38.8%, which is sixth nationally, and 3-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. …
Kansas is making its third trip to the state of California for the NCAA Tournament. In 2003, in Anaheim, California, the Jayhawks defeated Duke and Arizona in the West Regional to advance to the Final Four in New Orleans. In 2007, in San Jose, California, Kansas defeated Southern Illinois and lost to UCLA in the West Regional. …
Kansas’ 28 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, from 1990 to 2017, is the longest streak in NCAA Tournament appearance history, tied by North Carolina in 2024. Kansas has an actual streak of 36 from 1990 to present, but its 2018 appearance was later vacated by the IARP.
About No. 13 seed Cal Baptist (25-8)
This marks the first meeting between the schools. … It’s Cal Baptist’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament. … CBU earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament with a 63-61 victory over Utah Valley in the WAC championship game. The win was the second WAC title won by CBU that day. The CBU women’s team beat Abilene Christian in the WAC final and also qualified for the NCAAs. …
Dominique Daniels Jr. was named the Most Outstanding Player of the WAC Tournament. He scored 41 points in CBU’s semifinal win against Utah Tech and 23 in the title game. … Daniels averages 23.2 points per game, the fifth most in Division I. He’s the second-leading scorer in the NCAA Tournament field behind only AJ Dybantsa of BYU. … Daniels has six 30-point games this season, including a 31-point outing against Big 12 foe Utah. …
Martel Williams is second on the Lancers in scoring at 12.7 points per game. … CBU averages 39.9 rebounds per game, the No. 21 rebounding average in Division I. CBU’s 7.3 rebound margin is the No. 18 margin in the country. … Thomas Ndong leads CBU with 6.6 rebounds per game, followed by Jonathan Griman (5.9) and Bradey Henige (5.5). .. Cal Baptist will leave the WAC and join the Big West Conference on July 1. The Lancers spent eight seasons in the WAC.
The WAC will rebrand as the United Athletic Conference, made up of three current members, five from the Atlantic Sun and one from the Ohio Valley. … According to KenPom, the Lancers are 106th in net rating and 50th in adjusted defensive efficiency. … The Lancers finished the non-conference portion of their schedule 10-3, with losses to Big 12 Conference opponents Colorado, BYU, and Utah.
This story was originally published March 20, 2026 at 5:30 AM.
