The St. John’s Red Storm are headed to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 27 years.
While it took a total team effort to get there, it was one man—described by St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino as having “balls as big as church bells”—who delivered the moment.
Redshirt junior guard Dylan Darling stunned Kansas with his game-winning off-hand layup Sunday evening, lifting St. John’s to a 67–65 win over the Jayhawks.
THE CHURCH BELLS ARE RINGING, WE ARE GOING TO THE SWEET SIXTEEN 🛎️ pic.twitter.com/JO8RPvgAdC
— St. John’s Men’s Basketball (@StJohnsBBall) March 22, 2026
Although San Diego hosted the game, the atmosphere made it feel like Madison Square Garden. Viejas Arena erupted after the buzzer sounded with fans celebrating the win.
This moment was special for Darling due to his unparalleled college basketball journey.
While his March Madness moment put him on the map, Darling’s journey was anything but easy. Every stop along the way prepared him to knock off Kansas’ head coach Bill Self and the Jayhawks.
As a freshman for Washington State, Darling appeared in 25 games and made plays for the Cougars sporadically. Playing in the Pac-12 wasn’t easy but it allowed him to locate his strengths as a basketball player.
The NCAA granted him a medical redshirt after an injury ended his sophomore season. This also effectively ended his time in his home state of Washington.
After transferring to Idaho State, it became clear that Darling found his identity. He was a change of pace point guard with scoring capability and a strong defensive presence.
While he flew under the radar following his injury, Idaho State gave him an opportunity to shine—and the rest of the Big Sky paid for it.
Darling led the Bengals in points, assists and steals per game and he did it all in style. These efforts culminated in taking home Big Sky Player of the Year honors and from there, the rest was history.
Your 2024-25 Big Sky Conference MVP 🐅🏆#SawWood // #RoarBengalsRoar pic.twitter.com/vLkXmVbrNx
— Idaho State Men’s Basketball (@IdahoStateMBB) March 7, 2025
When asked after St. John’s win what stood out about Dylan Darling during the recruiting process, head coach Rick Pitino noted, “Everybody said the most glowing things about him. He has no fear at all.”
After spending 3 years at Washington State and Idaho State, Darling learned a lot about himself not only as a basketball player but as a man.
Following the game, Darling revealed he called his own shot and knew that with 3.9 seconds left, the ball would be in his hands.
Even after delivering arguably the biggest shot in recent St. John’s history, Darling deflected the praise.
“I probably don’t deserve this. I was pretty bad all night long, but my teammates held it down tonight,” Darling said in his postgame press conference.
This speaks to the fearlessness that recruited him to Queens in the first place. Although he was abysmal offensively, he wasn’t afraid to make a key play down the stretch.
Despite downplaying his moment, Darling cemented himself as a St. John’s hero. His game-winner snapped a nearly 30-year drought and sent the program back to the Sweet 16, a milestone for a team that had fallen on hard times.
Rick Pitino delivered on his promise to restore St. John’s to national relevance, and Darling has become a central piece of the resurgence in Jamaica, Queens.
For St. John’s students and fans, it marks the return of a program that once defined the NYC’s college basketball identity.
“Knowing that New York takes pride in the Johnnys [means a lot],” Darling said.
The Johnnies now head back east coast, closer to their fan base, as they prepare for a highly anticipated matchup against No. 1 Duke at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
There have been many transfer success stories in recent years, but few are as unique as Dylan Darling’s. Now playing for a Hall of Fame coach at a historic program, he has quickly become one of the faces of the nation’s largest city.
His path through the portal brought him to New York, and with his heroics Sunday evening, Darling etched his name into St. John’s history.
This Is March.
