St. John’s hero Dylan Darling is transferring to Grand Canyon for his final season of eligibility, according to on3.com.
Darling hit the game-winning layup against Kansas to secure the first Sweet 16 berth for St. John’s since 1999, but he opted to enter the portal — and he had offers topping seven figures, The Post’s Zach Braziller reported earlier this week.
His financial offer with Grand Canyon is unclear.
Darling, after spending two seasons with Washington State and one with Iowa State, arrived at St. John’s and played his way into the starting lineup, becoming an indispensable — and clutch — piece for head coach Rick Pitino.
He averaged 6.9 points, 2.6 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game, earning the nickname “church bells” from Pitino for having “balls as big as church bells” when it came to taking shots in the decisive moments.
That aggressiveness backfired, though, when he forced a 3-pointer late against the Blue Devils that turned a crucial St. John’s possession into a costly one during their five-point loss in the regional semifinals.
Darling’s decision to enter the portal earlier in the week served as the latest offseason development as Pitino looks to rebuild his roster after falling to Duke in the Sweet 16.
“We’re working on it,” Darling said of his future earlier this month after throwing out the first pitch of the Mets game, before the portal and Grand Canyon commitment followed. “We just kind of flipped that switch on figuring everything out and sitting down with the coaches. At first, I took the time to decompress and do a whole lot of nothing. We’re figuring out what’s best for me and what’s best for the team.
“I love St. John’s, I love the coaching staff, I love all the people at St. John’s.”
The Johnnies secured a commitment from international point guard Quinn Ellis, who has been playing in the EuroLeague and chose St. John’s over other high-major offers, and lost Joson Sanon to the portal, too.
Grand Canyon went 20-12 last season but failed to secure the Mountain West’s automatic bid for March Madness, snapping a stretch of three consecutive seasons with postseason berths for the Antelopes.
They lost to Nevada in the opening round of the Mountain West Tournament.
But now, after Darling’s decision, they have an option for point guard next year.
