Dylan Darling’s buzzer-beating layup sent St. John’s to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999, but Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green believes someone else deserves the spotlight.
Why Draymond Green Praised Bryce Hopkins After St. John’s Sweet 16 Win
The Red Storm defeated Kansas 67-65 in dramatic fashion on Sunday when Darling drove from midcourt and kissed a right-handed layup off the glass as time expired. It was Darling’s first and only basket of the game after he went scoreless for nearly 40 minutes.
While the college basketball world celebrated Darling’s heroics, Green took a different approach when discussing the thrilling finish.
Draymond reacts to end of Kansas & St John’s NCAA Tournament game
“I thought it was ridiculous (for Bill Self and Kansas) to foul that much to go into the penalty and then have to play defense on this last possession in the penalty… One thing I hate is (Dylan Darling) hit one… pic.twitter.com/ZGYi6DFYmI
— The Draymond Green Show (@DraymondShow) March 23, 2026
“One thing I hate is, you know, this guy [Dylan Darling] hadn’t hit a shot all night. He hit one shot, and everybody’s like, oh man, he’s the hero,” Green said. “Bryce Hopkins was the hero. Bryce Hopkins made every play down the stretch, every shot down the stretch that he needed to make. So shout out to him.”
Hopkins finished with 18 points on a career-high 6 made 3-pointers to go along with 7 rebounds. The Providence transfer caught fire from beyond the arc and provided crucial buckets when St. John’s needed them most.
With the Red Storm clinging to a 1-point lead and 1:29 remaining, Hopkins drilled a massive 3-pointer to push the advantage back to 4. Kansas eventually tied the game at the free-throw line with 13 seconds left, setting up Darling’s memorable winner.
Head coach Rick Pitino revealed after the game that he had been pushing Hopkins to shoot more 3s throughout the contest. Pitino said he was all over Hopkins and asked him why he would not shoot the 3, even yelling at him when he finally made one.
The 73-year-old Hall of Famer explained that the team needed the 3-point shooting because Kansas’ size was preventing them from getting good looks inside. Making 3s was their only salvation against the Jayhawks’ length.
Darling’s game-winner will live forever in St. John’s lore, but Green made it clear that Hopkins’ clutch shooting throughout the game laid the foundation for that iconic moment. The Red Storm made 11 3-pointers in the victory, nearly 4 more than their season average.
St. John’s has now won 21 of its last 22 games since early January after capturing both the Big East regular-season and tournament championships. The Red Storm will face top overall seed Duke in the Sweet 16 on Friday at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
