St. John's Dylan Darling throws out ceremonial first pitch at Citi Field

Church Bells rang in Flushing.

Metaphorically speaking.

“This is pretty cool,” said St. John’s junior guard Dylan Darling, prior to throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at Wednesday afternoon’s Diamondbacks-Mets game at Citi Field. “I’m glad I’m getting to do this.”

Darling, who threw from the mound and bounced the pitch in front of home plate, permanently etched his name into St. John’s history with his buzzer-beating layup that gave the Red Storm a thrilling 67-65 win over Kansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Darling, who had not scored a point in the game before converting the layup, lobbied Rick Pitino during a timeout to set up the final play to allow him to take the game-winning shot. The Hall of Fame coach acquiesced to the 6-1, 175-pound junior guard, who took the inbounds pass and drove straight to the rim, flipping a right-handed layup over the Jayhawks’ Elmarko Jackson.

“[It’s] the funniest thing I’ve ever been involved with,” Pitino said in the postgame news conference. “We’re going to run a play but they’ve got fouls to give and Bells comes up to me and says, ‘Run power.’ So I walked away and I [realized], ‘Wait a second. He hasn’t scored a bucket and he wants to run a play for himself?’ [But] I’m thinking as I’m walking, ‘He’s Bells.’ So [I am] real proud of him because to want the ball when you haven’t made a shot is unbelievable.”

Indeed. And it appears that Darling, who was accompanied by his Red Storm teammates, could author more seminal moments for St. John’s in 2026-27 since he is talking with Pitino about returning for next season.

“I want to end on a high note,” Darling said.

What does that look like?

“Having a good role,” said Darling, who emphasized that he would be fine with coming off the bench again. “Having a good season, individually and as a team, and being around people that care for me.”

Should he come back, he could be reunited with Ian Jackson. The sophomore guard acknowledged that he and Pitino are talking about what would best serve both the 6’5, 195-pounder from the Bronx and the program.

“Me and Coach P are in a great spot. We have an understanding of what we both want,” Jackson said. “I want to win. He wants to win.”

To that end, Darling and Jackson would theoretically bring the experience of being on a team that finished last season with a 30-7 record to a new group which will not have Zuby Ejiofor, Dillon Mitchell, Bryce Hopkins, and Oziyah Sellers, all of whom are graduating. Forward Sadiku Ibine Ayo may not return, as the soon-to-be senior forward has entered the transfer portal.

So, assuredly, there will be changes. Which Pitino himself hinted at in a video sent to specific members of the fanbase following the season-ending 80-75 loss to Duke in the Sweet 16. Among the subjects Pitino touched on in the video, he hinted that his staff would be active in the transfer portal.

According to reports, Kansas State guard Abdi Bashir Jr. is planning to visit as soon as next week, and Kansas forward Flory Bidunga is believed to have interest in St. John’s.