The Queens-based program is heading to the Sweet 16. The St. John’s University basketball team secured its first trip to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 1999 following a victory over Kansas last Sunday. Anticipation is peaking ahead of their upcoming showdown against the overall No. 1 seed Duke Blue Devils. But the foundation for this March Madness run was forged in chaos a month earlier.
The turning point happened in Rhode Island. It was February 14. St. John’s traveled to the notoriously hostile Amica Mutual Pavilion to face the Providence Friars. The sports world watched a tense conference rivalry devolve into a massive bench-clearing brawl.
Bryce Hopkins was the target. Hopkins previously starred for Providence. He tore his ACL during the 2023-2024 season and eventually transferred to St. John’s for his final year of collegiate eligibility. The Providence crowd targeted him relentlessly. The tension snapped completely when Providence forward Duncan Powell clotheslined Hopkins on a breakaway.
The floor exploded. Local police officers entered the court to restore order. The game stopped for a full 20 minutes. Referees handed out seven ejections by the end of the night. St. John’s lost four players to the locker room: Dillon Mitchell, Ruben Prey, Sadiku Ibine Ayo, and Kelvin Odih. Providence lost Powell and Jaylin Sellers immediately. A seventh player, Providence’s Jamier Jones, was tossed later in the game for a separate push.
St. John’s was trailing 40-39 when the fight started. They were severely shorthanded. They won anyway.
Dylan Darling took control of the offense. He dropped a season-high 23 points. St. John’s rallied around Hopkins and outscored Providence down the stretch to secure a 79-69 victory. The win happened in the exact same arena where Arkansas eliminated St. John’s from the NCAA Tournament a year prior.
The Red Storm never looked back. They won 11 of their next 12 games. Head coach Rick Pitino explicitly cited the February 14 road game as the true catalyst for the team’s current postseason success, crediting the brawl for forcing the roster to unite behind Hopkins.
Now, they wait for Duke.