Darling of March Madness joins GCU

Dylan Darling has not dished his first assist, scored his first bucket or dived into his first floor burn for Grand Canyon, but he will walk into Global Credit Union Arena as one of the most popular Lopes.

One March Madness moment saw to that for Grand Canyon's new point guard, who has felt that notoriety change this offseason when he returned to the Liberty Lake Gym where he cultivated his game growing up in the Spokane, Washington, area.

Darling is a bright spot of GCU's transfer portal, but he already had "One Shining Moment" when he called his shot for a game-winning, buzzer-beating drive that defeated Kansas and sent St. John's to the Sweet 16.

"One of the cooler parts is the reaction of the little kids who play basketball in Spokane," Darling said. "At Liberty Lake Gym where I grew up, there are little kids in there who think it is so cool that I'm in there. It's pretty cool because I used to be one of those kids. It's a surreal feeling. It's cool that those kids kind of freak out when they see me."

Lope Nation shares an excitement about the arrival of Darling, a 6-foot-2 St. John's starter and former Big Sky Player of the Year at Idaho State who fills the point guard role that GCU head coach Bryce Drew desired for his next Lopes team.

"Dylan was one of the most popular players from March Madness last year," Drew said. "He had a great season and made a lot of big plays. The year before, he was Big Sky Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. We love his feel at the point guard position to be able to make other players better on the court while also being a very capable scorer. I think he'll make our other players a lot better."

Darling started 15 of last season's 35 games, including the last nine, for a 30-7 St. John's team that went 11-0 in games that he played 25 or more minutes. He averaged 6.9 points, 2.6 assists (to just 1.0 turnovers) and 1.4 steals in 21.3 minutes per game for the Red Storm.

His career began with two seasons (one injury redshirt) at Washington State, where second-year GCU Chief of Staff Derrick Wrobel recruited Darling to the Cougars before Darling's game broke out at Idaho State. Darling was named the Big Sky's top player in 2024-25 for averaging 19.8 points, 5.7 assists and 1.7 steals with strong shooting – 44% from the field, 36% on 3-pointers and 81% at the free throw line.

"Coach Wrobel gave me my first opportunity," Darling said. "It only felt right to end it off with him."

The transition from Idaho State star to becoming the point guard that St. John's head coach Rick Pitino needed was difficult, particularly against grueling Big East competition. However, Darling shot his best in Big East games (43% from the field, 34% on 3s and 73% on free throws), found his leadership voice during the season and earned conference-wide respect with Connecticut head coach Dan Hurley calling him "tough as nails."

"It was a learning process," Darling said. "Obviously, it was a big jump. It takes time to get comfortable. It took time for us to all jell together. It took time for me to learn to play at that level, to learn to play that system and to learn how to play for Coach P. You hear how crazy Coach P is, and it's an adjustment. You have to learn how to maneuver with him and how to communicate with him during games. You're learning on the fly. As time went on, I felt more comfortable. I finally understood what the team needed and just tried to help impact winning."

Darling continued to be a consummate playmaker with a 2.6 to 1 assist-to-turnover ratio and flashes of scoring ability, including a season-high 23 points against Providence. He orchestrated offense and pressured on defense with an energetic, competitive edge.

James and Dylan Darling — **James and Dylan**

"The main thing I do is just play hard," Darling said. "I try to be the hardest-playing dude on the floor. I'm quick. I feel like I'm a pure point guard. I can shoot. I can pass. I can dribble. I can defend. I try to do anything to help the team win games."

Darling is an intense competitor like his father, James, who played 10 NFL seasons as a linebacker with the Philadelphia Eagles (1997-2000), New York Jets (2001-02) and Arizona Cardinals (2003-06). He initially followed his dad's path to Washington State and now will play in the Valley, his second stop in an NFL market of his father's career.

The St. John's season enriched Darling's game, but GCU's staff envisions a role closer to the one he held at Idaho State, where he recorded a 13-assist game and made six 3-pointers in another game. Darling was one of three players in the nation to rank in the national top 30 for points and assists in 2024-25, when the Bengals had their most confence wins in nine years.

"They needed a playmaker and see me getting back to my Idaho State ways and being able to playmake like that," Darling said. "I want nothing more than that. Coach Drew was transparent about how he is going to use me, so I said, 'Let's do it.'

"It's always good to be wanted and to be needed. I just felt like GCU made me a priority. This will be my fifth year in college basketball, so I'm able to make the right decision. There are a lot of car salesmen in the transfer portal. Being older, you can see who is genuine and has a vision for you. I loved the vision GCU had for me."

It was just five weeks ago that Darling called his own shot with a play suggestion to Pitino despite being scoreless in the tied NCAA Tournament second-round game against Kansas with 3.9 seconds remaining. Darling drove and finished with his outstretched right hand, his off-hand, to put St. John's in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999.

That moment of "audacity," as Pitino called it, was a progression in Darling's on-court presence, which went from quiet newcomer to confident leader.

"That's the part of my game that grew the most this past year," Darling said. "St. John's taught me a lot. Being able to be coached by Coach P for a year was such a blessing. He taught me so much. He prepped me for what's to come now. I'm excited for my role to expand and for me to be able to use everything he taught and instilled in me over the past year. Everything that I learned in the Big East with being able to play through physicality, I'm excited to bring that to GCU and the Mountain West."

James Darling as Cardinals linebacker — Dylan Darling's father, James, played for the Arizona Cardinals from 2003 to 2006, starting in 2004 and 2005. (Photo courtesy of Cardinals)

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