Dylan Darling didn’t think there were many options left.
Just 3.9 seconds sat on the clock and the St. John’s season hung in the balance.
He hadn’t made a shot all game and never attempted a 2-point field goal.
“The play coach was trying to run, there wasn't enough time for it,” he explained. “I threw the suggestion out, and I don't think Coach really had a choice at that point in time. So, we went with it.”
He caught the in-bounds pass from Bryce Hopkins on the move at midcourt, stuttered stepped left, and powered to his right. Once he got a step on Elmarko Jackson, all he had to do was beat the clock.
And he did.
His layup sent the Red Storm to its first Sweet 16 since 1999 where it will meet top-seeded Duke in Washington D.C. on Friday night.
“Real proud of him because to want the ball when you haven't made a shot is unbelievable,” Rick Pitino explained. “They probably were looking at him to go left. He went right.”
“It was the only play we could run, or you could try to throw it into the high post area and let Zuby go. But as soon as ‘Bells’ said to me to run power, I knew he could get to the rim because he hadn't done a damn good thing the whole night, so I knew he was going to do it.”
Dylan Darling became the first player in the history of the NCAA Tournament to hit a game-winning buzzer beater as his first basket of the game. He was 1-for-5 from the floor and 0-for-4 from 3-point range.
“I probably don't deserve this,” Darling said. “I was pretty bad all night long, but my teammates held it down tonight. Everybody stepped up, including [Ian Jackson], and just happy to keep this thing rolling.”
It was the first buzzer beater in his college basketball career and one of the biggest shots in the history of St. John’s basketball.
“I don't think I could give myself too much credit,” Darling added. “I did a whole lot of nothing tonight.”