Kansas Takes on St. John’s in NCAA Tournament Round of 32 Sunday

Mo. Basuony

Published: March 22, 2026 9:08 AM ET

Kansas Takes on St. John’s in NCAA Tournament Round of 32 Sunday

The No. 4 seed Kansas Jayhawks (24-10) will face No. 5 seed St. John’s (29-6) on Sunday. The game takes place March 22 at Viejas Arena in San Diego, California. Tip-off is set for 4:15 p.m. CT and CBS will televise the contest.

Kansas and St. John’s meet for the 15th time in program history. KU holds a 9-5 advantage in the series. Their most notable meeting came in the 1952 NCAA title game, when Kansas beat St. John’s 80-63 in Seattle.

Coaching pedigree

Both benches feature Hall of Fame coaches. Bill Self joined the Naismith Hall in 2017. Rick Pitino entered the Hall in 2013. Each coach has won two NCAA Tournament championships.

Recent form and seeding

Kansas advanced after a 68-60 victory over No. 13 California Baptist on March 20. St. John’s opened with a 79-53 win over Northern Iowa. That win marked St. John’s seventh straight victory.

Kansas statistical snapshot

The Jayhawks average 75.4 points per game. Their scoring margin stands at plus-6.3. Kansas averages 38.9 rebounds and holds a plus-2.1 rebound margin.

Kansas records 14.1 assists, 5.5 steals, and 5.7 blocks per game. The Jayhawks lead the Big 12 in field-goal percentage defense at 38.7 percent. That mark ranks third nationally. KU also leads the Big 12 in three-point percentage defense at 30.5 percent, 28th nationally. Kansas tops the conference with 5.7 blocks per game, sixth nationally.

Key contributors

Darryn Peterson, freshman guard: team-high 20.1 points per game. He scored 28 in the NCAA opener and has 60 three-pointers in 23 games.
Tre White, senior guard: averages 13.8 points and 6.7 rebounds. He has seven double-doubles and has made 56 threes this season.
Flory Bidunga, sophomore center: Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He averages about 13.3 points and 9.1 rebounds. Bidunga leads the conference with 88 blocks and posts roughly 2.6 blocks per game.
Melvin Council Jr., senior guard: averages 12.6 points. He leads KU with 173 assists and 35 steals, and posts a 2.82 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Bryson Tiller, redshirt-freshman forward: about 8.1 points and 6.1 rebounds. He has 45 blocks and 30 starts this season.
Other regulars include Elmarko Jackson, Jamari McDowell, Kohl Rosario, and Jayden Dawson.

Context for the matchup

Kansas has played 14 teams in the 2026 tournament field, compiling an 11-7 combined record versus those opponents. The Round of 32 pairing presents a classic regional matchup. Both teams will aim to reach the Sweet 16.

If Kansas advances

A victory would send Kansas to the Sweet 16 in Washington, D.C. KU would face the winner of No. 1 Duke and No. 9 TCU. That game is scheduled for Friday, March 27 at Capital One Arena.

Kansas has reached the Sweet 16 31 times in program history. The Jayhawks most recently advanced as part of their 2022 championship run.

Filmogaz.com will provide further coverage and updates as the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 matchup approaches.