No. 5 St. John’s defeated No. 4 Kansas 67-65 on Sunday at Viejas Arena in San Diego, securing the program’s first trip to the Sweet 16 since 1999. Guard Dylan Darling secured the upset with a layup with 1.2 seconds remaining in the second-round NCAA Tournament matchup.
The victory marks head coach Rick Pitino’s 10th career 30-win season, making him the fifth coach in the history of men’s college basketball to reach that milestone. St. John’s has now recorded consecutive 30-win seasons, a benchmark the program had not reached since the mid-1980s.
Sophomore guard Ian Jackson anchored the St. John’s rotation off the bench, delivering 10 points in 20 minutes of action. Tasked with the primary defensive assignment on Kansas star Darryn Peterson, Jackson limited Peterson to 5-of-15 shooting from the floor.
Jackson’s pivotal role in the rotation followed a quiet performance in the team’s Round of 64 victory over Northern Iowa. Team captain Zuby Ejiofor addressed Jackson prior to the Kansas game, encouraging the Bronx native to maintain his aggression.
The postseason success validates Pitino’s recent roster management in collegiate sports, specifically the April 2025 transfer portal acquisition of Jackson from North Carolina.