St. John’s guard, former CV star Dylan Darling enters transfer portal after March Madness heroics

April 14, 2026 Updated Tue., April 14, 2026 at 9:57 p.m.

Dylan Darling sends the St. John’s Red Storm past Elmarko Jackson and Flory Bidunga and Kansas in the closing seconds of their NCAA Tournament game on March 22 at Viejas Arena at San Diego State University. (Tribune News Service)

Tribune News Service

Dylan Darling delivered an all-time highlight at St. John’s, finishing a buzzer-beating layup against Kansas to send the Red Storm to the Sweet 16.

But Darling may soon be taking his late-game magic elsewhere.

The senior point guard from Central Valley High School has entered the NCAA transfer portal, according to reports, paving the way for his potential exit.

The development came six days after Darling said he and St. John’s were “working on” his situation and acknowledged the possibility of head coach Rick Pitino naming him a captain.

“We’re just figuring out what’s best for me, what’s best for that team,” Darling said last week at Citi Field, where he threw out the ceremonial first pitch as the Mets celebrated St. John’s.

“It’s just hard when you have to replace so many dudes, and so many impactful dudes, even though we don’t really know what it looks like. But I love St. John’s. I love the coaching staff. I love all the people at St. John’s.”

Darling averaged 6.9 points and 2.6 assists per game last season after transferring from Idaho State. Before that, he spent two seasons at Washington State.

He earned a reputation for his clutch heroics even before his game-winning shot in the NCAA Tournament, helping lead St. John’s (30-7) to the Big East’s regular-season and conference-tournament titles.

But Darling, whom Pitino recruited to be a backup, was pressed into starting duty for multiple stretches, including the final 10 games, as St. John’s struggled at times to find production at point guard.

On Tuesday, the Red Storm reportedly received a commitment from European point guard Quinn Ellis, who has played professionally in Italy.

Darling said last week that he would be open to coming off the bench.

“It’s just making sure that we’re on the same page, if that is the case,” Darling said.

Should Darling leave, St. John’s would need to replace the entire starting lineup that finished last season. Zuby Ejiofor, Bryce Hopkins, Dillon Mitchell and Oziyah Sellers are each out of NCAA eligibility.

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