Dylan Darling has emerged as one of the most indispensable players on the St. John’s basketball team and it’s something that many didn’t see coming, but Rick Pitino always knew he had something special in the 6-foot-1 guard.
The Idaho State transfer was the last player added to the roster from the transfer portal during the offseason and has found a way to continually make clutch shots late while still keeping others involved on offense for the Red Storm.
“We knew we were void of a point guard,” Rick Pitino said on Thursday about his confidence in Darling entering the season. “I knew he’d be good, but it bothered me a little bit midseason when he lost confidence in himself because I have so much confidence in him.”
Against Seton Hall, it was a late steal and layup in the second half comeback. It was a game-winning 3-pointer against Xavier to cap off St. John’s comeback in Cincinnati and another triple to help seal the win over No. 3 UConn at Madison Square Garden.
“He’s a great point guard,” Dan Hurley said after Darling went for nine points against the Huskies.
“That guy is a heck of a player, and to be able to do what he does whatever his minute situation is game-to-game, when they need that guy to step up, I mean he made a huge difference in that game.”
On the season, Darling is only averaging 6.4 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game on just 0.9 turnovers. While the numbers aren’t the most eye-popping, it’s the impact that he brings to the court.
“That’s just what point guards are supposed to do,” Darling said on Monday after putting up 16 points, five rebounds, and four assists in an overtime victory against Xavier.
“I’ve been playing point guard for a while and [I’m] just trying to be the calm in the chaos at the end of games and trying to settle everybody down and get us into our stuff.”
St. John’s has built the core of its team in the frontcourt, but it will be the guards that must rise to the occasion in the NCAA Tournament and shine on the big stage.
“He’s starting to become one of the better point guards in the league,” Richard Pitino explained after Darling’s performance against the Musketeers. “He’s really, really tough, defensively, offensively, makes the right play…just a high, high level of toughness and he does it game-after-game.”
Rick Pitino is still tinkering with his backcourt rotations and said that he wants to get more playing time for Darling and Ian Jackson together on the court, playing Jackson at shooting guard.
No. 17 St. John’s will see if that lineup combination comes to fruition on Saturday afternoon (1:00 p.m. ET, TNT) on the road against Providence.