St. John’s Stuns Kansas to Reach First Sweet 16 Since 1999

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The “renaissance” of St. John’s basketball under Rick Pitino has reached its most significant milestone yet. In a pulse-pounding finish on Sunday, the No. 5 seed St. John’s Red Storm knocked off the No. 4 seed Kansas Jayhawks 67–65 at Viejas Arena in San Diego.

The victory sends the Red Storm (30–6) to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 27 years, officially marking their return to the top tier of college basketball prominence.

The “Church Bells” Ring: Dylan Darling’s Moment

The hero of the afternoon was point guard Dylan Darling, whose final stat line of just two points belies the magnitude of his impact.

The Slump: Darling had been 0-for-4 from the field all day, struggling so mightily with his shot that coach Rick Pitino had joked he was “aiming the ball” rather than shooting it.
The Decision: With the game tied at 65 and only 3.9 seconds remaining, Darling called his own number, directing the team to run “Power”—a high back-screen pick-and-roll.
The Dagger: Darling received the ball at midcourt, sliced through the Kansas defense, and banked in a right-handed layup as the buzzer sounded. The bucket sparked a mob scene on the court as teammates tackled Darling in front of the St. John’s band.

The Jayhawks’ Furious Comeback

For much of the second half, it appeared St. John’s would cruise. Behind a historic performance from Bryce Hopkins—who set a program NCAA tournament record with six three-pointers—the Red Storm built a 14-point lead with just under nine minutes to play.

However, Kansas freshman star Darryn Peterson (21 points) refused to let the Jayhawks’ season end quietly. Peterson spearheaded a 20–7 run, culminating in two clutch free throws with 13.1 seconds left to tie the game. Despite the rally, Kansas’ inability to stop the final drive left Bill Self’s squad heading home in the first weekend for the fourth consecutive year.

Box Score: #5 St. John’s 67, #4 Kansas 65

Team	1H	2H	Final	Key Performer
St. John’s	34	33	67	Bryce Hopkins: 18 PTS, 6-9 3PT
Kansas	26	39	65	Darryn Peterson: 21 PTS

Zuby Ejiofor’s Revenge: The Kansas transfer was instrumental against his former team, recording 18 points and 9 rebounds.
The Bench Factor: Bronx product Ian Jackson provided a massive spark off the pine, contributing 10 points and lockdown perimeter defense during the first-half surge.

Pitino’s 30-Win Masterclass

With the win, Rick Pitino became only the fifth coach in NCAA history to record ten 30-win seasons, joining the likes of Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams. More importantly, he has successfully revitalized a program that had long been a “sleeping giant” in the New York City market.

“I probably don’t deserve this,” Darling said post-game with a sheepish grin. “I was pretty bad all night. But my teammates held it down. Just happy to keep this thing rolling.”

Up Next: A Date with Duke

The Red Storm will travel to Washington, D.C., for an East Regional heavyweight clash. They are set to face the No. 1 overall seed Duke Blue Devils at Capital One Arena on Friday, March 27. It will be a battle of two of the most storied programs in the country, with a trip to the Elite Eight on the line.