St. John's Guard Calls Own Shot, Wins Game at Buzzer

Dylan Darling had missed every shot he took. But when St. John's needed someone to take the final shot against Kansas, the junior guard walked up to legendary coach Rick Pitino and called his own number.

With 3.9 seconds on the clock and the score tied 65-65, Darling suggested running "power," a play designed to get him to the basket. Pitino was stunned that a player who had gone 0-for-4 wanted the ball in the biggest moment of the season.

"I just can't imagine a player today, in today's world, with all the scrutiny, wanting the ball when he's shooting terrible," Pitino said after the game. But he trusted his player's instincts.

Darling drove straight to the rim and laid the ball in as time expired. He had so much momentum that he never saw it go in.

"I just heard everybody going crazy," Darling said after St. John's 67-65 victory Sunday in San Diego. "It was pretty cool."

The win sent the Red Storm to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999. It's the culmination of a season built on defense and a team learning to believe in themselves at the right moment.

Senior forward Bryce Hopkins kept St. John's alive with six 3-pointers, doubling his previous season high. Kansas's scouting report said to let Hopkins shoot from distance because the numbers showed he wouldn't make them.

Pitino had been begging his team all season to shoot more threes. In their last two tournament games, they finally listened, making at least 10 three-pointers in each contest.

Why This Inspires

This game wasn't about perfect execution or following the script. It was about a player who struggled all night but refused to let doubt creep in when it mattered most.

Darling's teammates could have questioned why someone who hadn't scored wanted the final shot. Instead, they trusted him, just as Pitino did.

"I probably don't deserve this," Darling said afterward. "I was pretty bad all night long, but my teammates held it down tonight."

That humility combined with courage is what makes sports beautiful. Darling knew the situation left few options, but he also believed in himself enough to ask for the opportunity.

For Pitino, it's his 14th Sweet 16 appearance and his first with St. John's. "This was the final for me, to get St. John's to the next level," he said. "And we're not done yet."

Twenty-seven years is a long time for a proud program to wait, but sometimes the best stories are worth the patience.