Darling's Last-Second Shot Sends St. John's to Sweet 16

SAN DIEGO -- Dylan Darling found himself in a pivotal moment with just 3.9 seconds remaining in a tied game, despite not having scored previously. The No. 5 seed St. John's, which had once led by 14 points, faced a tense situation against the 4-seed Kansas.

With the game on the line, Darling drove into the paint and executed a layup so forceful that he did not even see the ball go in. "I just heard everybody going crazy," Darling remarked after St. John's 67-65 victory in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday. "It was pretty cool."

While Red Storm coach Rick Pitino remained relatively composed following the buzzer-beater, Darling was quickly surrounded by his teammates in celebration. After Kansas had strategically fouled to manage the clock, Pitino found his options limited. Recognizing the time constraints for the intended play, Darling suggested a different approach.

“This is the amazing thing, and the funniest thing I've ever been involved with,” Pitino recalled. “[Darling] comes up to me and says, ‘Run power,’ which is a high, back-screen pick-and-roll. So, I walk away, and I said, ‘Wait a second: He hasn’t scored a bucket, and he wants to run a play for himself.’”

Prior to that final play, Darling had attempted four shots but failed to score. Despite this, Pitino respected Darling’s boldness. “I just can’t imagine a player today, in today’s world, with all the scrutiny, wanting the ball when he’s shooting terrible,” he said. “It was the only play we could run.”

Darling himself acknowledged his earlier performance, stating, “I probably don’t deserve this. I was pretty bad all night long, but my teammates held it down tonight.” One key teammate was senior forward Bryce Hopkins, who led St. John's with 18 points, all from three-point range. This was particularly notable, as Hopkins had previously not made more than three 3-pointers in any game this season.

Jayhawks coach Bill Self noted that the scouting report indicated confidence in allowing Hopkins to shoot threes, based on his historical performance. Yet, under Pitino's encouragement, Hopkins managed to double his previous best on Sunday. “I said, ‘You have to keep shooting the 3,’” Pitino explained. “We need it because when you’re not in sync offensively, your only salvation is to make 3s.”

Throughout the season, Pitino has faced challenges in motivating his team to shoot more from beyond the arc. In their last two games, St. John's has recorded at least 10 three-pointers, averaging nearly four more per game than their season average. However, the team’s defensive prowess has been their hallmark, as they have held opponents to under 70 points in nine of their last ten games.

“We still have a lot in our tank because we’re a very good defensive team,” said Pitino. “We win with our defense, and we’re learning how valuable the 3-point line is now.”

Ultimately, none of the team’s defensive efforts or three-point shooting would have counted without Darling's decisive play, which secured St. John's a place in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999. This marks the 14th time Pitino has reached this stage, making him one of only three coaches to guide four different programs to the Sweet 16.

“It just makes me go down memory lane,” Pitino reflected after the game. “This was the final for me, to get St. John’s to the next level. And we’re not done yet.”