Mar 22, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; St. John’s Red Storm forward Dillon Mitchell (1) reacts in the second half against the Kansas Jayhawks during a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
No. 5 St. John’s will play in its first Sweet 16 in an NCAA tournament since 1999 against No. 1 Duke, the top-ranked program in the country. Rick Pitino’s Red Storm and Jon Scheyer’s Blue Devils are scheduled to tip off a Friday night full of high-level action at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
The Johnnies are coming off a nail-biting win over No. 4 Kansas, with Dylan Darling’s game-winning layup being the deciding factor. His shot became a defining moment in their season, which has been full of highs and lows, including a 9-5 start before finishing 19-1 and winning consecutive regular-season and tournament titles.
Duke, meanwhile, pulled off a 13-point victory over TCU in the second round. However, the Blue Devils have begun to crack under pressure, as they failed to create enough separation from the ninth-seeded Horned Frogs during the first half.
This was a recurring theme for them, considering they trailed by 13 against an inferior opponent in Siena during the first round. That was a game most thought the Blue Devils could’ve won by a large margin, but instead it came down to them taking a lead with 5:08 left on the clock. If this trend continues against the Red Storm, Duke might be on upset alert.
Jumping out to large leads is one thing St. John’s has done well. Against Northern Iowa in the opening round, it took a 13-point lead and never looked back. The Red Storm did the same against Bill Self’s Kansas, taking an early eight-point lead.
Persistent three-point shooting and aggressiveness in the paint have helped them accomplish this. Against the Jayhawks, Bryce Hopkins drilled six of his nine total long-range shots.
This approach reignited sophomore guard Ian Jackson, who scored 10 points and made two three-pointers. But this method has come with its problems.
For starters, Zuby Ejiofor, Joson Sanon, and Darling went a combined 1-for-13 from beyond the arc against the Jayhawks. As a whole, St. John’s shot 31% (11-for-35) from three.
The Johnnies have also struggled defensively in both games down the stretch. When facing freshman guard Darryn Peterson, the Red Storm played light defense, allowing the NBA prospect to cut their lead to eight points.
It became more grim from there, as free throws from Peterson made it a tie game. St. John’s NCAA tournament run might have ended there if it weren’t for Darling’s miraculous final shot.
Their defense will need to be concise against Duke, which runs its offense through First Team All-American freshman Cameron Boozer. The son of former NBA star Carlos Boozer led the Blue Devils in scoring in their previous games and is averaging 22.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per game while shooting 56.3%.
Will Pitino be able to conjure up a defensive scheme to stop the younger Boozer? Or will he have to rely on Ejiofor leading the offense, as he’s done this entire season?
The reigning Big East Player of the Year is averaging 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 54.5%. There’s no question that Ejiofor can be a difference maker on both sides of the court, but whether he can sustain it against the top-ranked team has yet to be seen.
When St. John’s and Duke take the court at the Capital One Arena on Friday, with tip-off scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET, the spotlight will be on how the opposing coaches can contain Boozer and Ejiofor on offense. But if all else fails, the game could come down to the buzzer with a trip to the Elite Eight hanging in the balance.
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