Minutes ago, the Kansas Jayhawks had their seeding fate revealed ahead of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Bill Self’s squad was selected as the No. 4 seed in the East Region and is set to take on the No. 13 Cal Baptist Lancers this Friday.
A first NCAA tournament for the Western Athletic Conference champion
After receiving the bump to Division I athletics all the way back in 2018, the Lancers have been a steady team under head coach Rick Croy, who has been with Cal Baptist since 2013.
The 2025/26 season marks the second 20+ win season, with the first coming all the way back in 2019/20, which was shortened thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Croy and Co. held a 13-5 conference record and an overall 25-8 mark this year which pushed them all the way up to a No. 2 seed in the WAC Tournament, meaning they got to remain relatively fresh playing just two games this week, the first a 14-point win over No. 3 Utah Tech, the second a thrilling 63-61 win over Utah Valley in the conference championship Saturday night.
Baptist prides itself on a stubborn defense, which ranks 28th-best, allowing just 67.6 points per game, and while its offense stalls at just 73 points per game, which sits 224th, there is an X-factor that KU needs to be aware of.
Dominique Daniels Jr. could be a tide-turner for Cal Baptist
Daniels stands at 5-foot-10 and has spent the last three years of his career in Riverside, Calif., averaging a career 20.9 points per game. However, his graduate season has shown the most potential.
Daniels has surpassed 30+ points seven times this season, with two different games seeing the former JUCO player notching 40+ points. The first came in a 47-point bundle against Utah Valley earlier this season, the second, 41 points against Utah Tech, in the semifinal win.
On the season, Daniels is maintaining a 23.2 points per game average, which ranks as the fifth-best in the country, and pairs nicely with a 43.7% field goal rate. The guard also adds 3.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per showing.
If KU can keep Daniels quiet, the second-highest scorer for the Lancers is fellow guard Martel Williams, who averages 12.7 points per game. The two are the only ones on the team who score 10+ points. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. CT in San Diego, Calif.
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