The East region of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, as Kansas coach Bill Self pointed out on Sunday, is difficult enough as to include both the No. 1 overall seed, Duke, and a No. 2 seed in UConn that not long ago was on the No. 1 line.
Those are also two teams that already beat the fourth-seeded Jayhawks this season, albeit when KU didn’t have Darryn Peterson — Duke by a score of 78-66 at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 18, and UConn 61-56 at Allen Fieldhouse on Dec. 2.
Then there’s the rest of the bracket, starting with No. 3 seed Michigan State.
“The worst they could do is be a three, they were talked about being a two,” Self said. “And then you have in my opinion, as hot as a five as there is, period.”
St. John’s, which is KU’s probable opponent in the second round if it gets past Cal Baptist on Friday, finds itself down on the No. 5 line despite having won the Big East regular-season and tournament championships, capped off by a 72-52 demolition of UConn on Saturday. Forward Zuby Ejiofor, a former Jayhawk, leads the Red Storm in nearly every major statistical category.
“I think it’s hard,” Self said of the region. “But I also think, I think this year, all along that three, four, five, six (line), it seems harder to me this year. It seems like there’s less separation than maybe there has been in years past.”
The result of KU landing on the No. 4-No. 5 matchup is that if it gets past the first weekend for just the second time since 2018, it will likely have a date with the highly regarded Blue Devils.
The Jayhawks did keep their previous game with Duke close despite lacking Peterson. Melvin Council Jr. hit a 3-pointer to make it 67-64 in the Blue Devils’ favor with five minutes to go before KU’s offense ground to a halt for the remainder of the game. That grim ending wouldn’t be as likely of a result with Peterson involved — although granted, the Jayhawks did just turn in arguably their worst offensive game of the season with a full complement of players against Houston on Friday.
On the other hand, Duke may be somewhat more vulnerable at the moment due to injuries. Starting point guard Caleb Foster fractured his foot and might not be back for a while, and center Patrick Ngongba II missed the ACC tournament. Of course, Duke won it anyway and Ngongba is expected to return soon.
If the Blue Devils are to advance, they will first have to take care of No. 16 seed Siena, then they might face another team KU knows well: No. 9 seed TCU.
Kansas forward Flory Bidunga (40) pulls away a rebound from several TCU players during the second half, Thursday, March 12, 2026, at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. Photo by Nick Krug
The Horned Frogs drew No. 8 Ohio State in the first round after the Jayhawks brought their Big 12 tournament run to an end with a 78-73 result on Thursday. It was a sloppy, back-and-forth game in which KU pulled away late thanks in large part to a series of turnovers, after the Jayhawks had also made a miraculous comeback to beat TCU in overtime, 104-100, on Jan. 6 in Lawrence.
The other half of the bracket, headlined by UConn (which may not enter the postseason in the best form after its losses to St. John’s and, a week earlier, unranked Marquette) also features a couple other teams KU has seen in person this year, including one unofficially. Yes, the No. 6 seed is the Jayhawks’ exhibition opponent from October, Louisville.
Louisville guard J’Vonne Hadley (1) and guard Mikel Brown Jr., left, attempt to take the ball away from Kansas guard Melvin Council Jr. (14) during the second half of an NCAA exhibition college basketball game in Louisville, Ky., Friday, Oct. 24, 2025.
KU won that exhibition, 90-82. The Jayhawks limited the Cardinals’ star freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. on that night, but he proved his worth as a dynamic scorer for much of the regular season, including when he made 10 3s and scored 45 points against N.C. State on Feb. 9. However, Brown has missed time with a back injury throughout the year and it’s not clear whether his efforts to return for March Madness will succeed.
Louisville will take on American champion South Florida in a quadrant that also includes Michigan State and No. 14 seed North Dakota State.
The remaining familiar foe for KU in the East region is No. 10 UCF, which drew No. 7 UCLA in Philadelphia, as the winner will take on either UConn or Furman. The Knights beat KU and stormed the court at Addition Financial Arena for the second time in three years, also dealing the Jayhawks their second straight conference-opening loss after KU had previously won 33 league openers in a row.
UCF entered the year with a brand-new roster, but the Knights jelled quickly, led by the likes of transfer wing Riley Kugel, who scored 19 in the win over KU, and point guard Themus Fulks. They did not make their tournament qualification process entirely straightforward with late-season losses to the likes of Baylor, Oklahoma State and West Virginia (twice), but did enough to return to the tournament for the first time since 2019.
Central Florida guard Themus Fulks (1) drives around Kansas guard Elmarko Jackson (13) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Orlando, Fla.
EAST REGION (WASHINGTON)
No. 1 Duke
No. 2 UConn
No. 3 Michigan State
No. 4 Kansas
No. 5 St. John’s
No. 6 Louisville
No. 7 UCLA
No. 8 Ohio State
No. 9 TCU
No. 10 UCF
No. 11 South Florida
No. 12 Northern Iowa
No. 13 Cal Baptist
No. 14 North Dakota State
No. 15 Furman
No. 16 Siena
2026 NCAA Tournament Preview
A deeper look at No. 13 Cal Baptist
KU’s region includes plenty of intrigue
Reasons KU could win it all — or not
How KU’s highest-ranked one-and-dones have fared in March
Melvin Council Jr.: The making of an all-time fan favorite
Extras
KU women’s basketball accepts WBIT invite
KU’s history as No. 4 seed, in San Diego and Washington
Forgotten moments from the 2025-26 season
AP Photo/Frank Franklin II
AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley
AP Photo/John Raoux