How to Watch Kansas vs St. John's in NCAA Tournament

Kansas and St. John's are set to meet in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in one of the most highly anticipated matchups of March. The Hall of Fame coaching showdown will feature the Big East champions and a Jayhawk team that boasts the potential No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft.

This has the makings of an instant classic and offers KU an opportunity to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in four years. If you're unsure how to tune in to today's contest, here is all the necessary information you should know before tip-off.

How to Watch Kansas vs. St. John's

Mar 20, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self reacts in the first half against the California Baptist Lancers during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Who: No. 5 seed St. John's Red Storm (29-6, 18-2) vs. No. 4 seed Kansas Jayhawks (24-10, 12-6)
What: Round of 32 matchup in the NCAA Tournament
When: Sunday, March 22 at 4:15 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 2:30 p.m CT.
Radio announcers: Brian Hanni (play-by-play)
This season: Kansas has been one of the most inconsistent teams in the nation this year. It does have the No. 1 most difficult strength of schedule in the country, and the Jayhawks have pulled off wins over title contenders like Arizona, Iowa State, and Houston, but they've also struggled over the past month or so with losses to Cincinnati and Arizona State, among others. St. John's has won 20 of its past 21 games and took him the Big East crown despite a lackluster showing in nonconference play. The Red Storm have taken down UConn twice, though that is the only ranked opponent they have beaten all season.
Series history: The Jayhawks lead the all-time series over the Johnnies 9-5. KU has won the past three matchups and five of the past six dating back to 1987. It is a rematch of the 1952 national championship game, where Kansas and Phog Allen won 80-63.

Meet the Coaches

Jan 17, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino during a game against the Villanova Wildcats at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Rick Pitino, St. John's: Pitino is in his third year at the helm in Queens and is best known for his stints at Kentucky and Louisville. He was the coach for Kentucky's historic 150-95 defeat in 1989 in Allen Fieldhouse, but hasn't matched up with the Jayhawks often otherwise.
Bill Self, Kansas: Self has only met with Pitino once on the sidelines in a 2021 nonconference game when he was the coach at Iona. The Jayhawks defeated the Gaels by 13 in that meeting. Aside from that, Self is 1-0 against St. John's as KU's head coach.

Leading scorers

Kansas

G Darryn Peterson: 20.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 44.3 FG%
G Tre White: 13.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 40.9 3PT FG%
C Flory Bidunga: 13.3 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 2.6 bpg, 63.9 FG%

St. John's

F Zuby Ejiofor: 16.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 2.2 bpg, 55.0 FG%
F Bryce Hopkins: 13.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 46.1 FG%
G Oziyah Sellers: 10.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 34.9 3PT FG%