Dylan Darling was the clutch hero responsible for sending Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks home with a dramatic March Madness buzzer-buzzer that vaulted St. John's into an epic 2026 Sweet 16 matchup against No. 1-seeded Duke.
Among the many things that an amused Rick Pitino said about the St. John's point guard's moxie during his postgame press conference, one line that stuck out was, "but he's 'Bells,'" a reference to Darling's nickname that was sparked by some clutch play against Xavier back in January.
Keep in mind, "Bells" is the significantly shorter version of what Pitino had originally stated at the time, declaring that Darling has "got balls as big as church bells."
And so it began.
From Xavier to the Sweet 16: How One Clutch Shot Gave Dylan Darling His Nickname
After Darling dropped a huge go-ahead three-pointer to secure an 88-83 win at Xavier on Jan. 24, the shot that inspired Pitino to aptly compare the guard's fearlessness on the court to "balls as big as church bells," it's been all gas, no brakes for the highly-touted transfer from Idaho State.
That key road win aided by Darling's three-pointer also proved to serve as a lightning rod of sorts for the Red Storm — a team that had improved to 15-5 — as St. John's went on to lose just one game the rest of the way, finishing with a record of 28-6 and winning the Big East tournament in commanding fashion, taking out UConn by a score of 72-52.
(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Considering the painfully honest words Pitino had delivered to his now beloved point guard just a couple weeks prior to Darling's big moment in the Xavier game, it's been a pretty remarkable turnaround for the 23-year-old ever since.
"You're different from what I expected," Pitino told Darling in January. "You got more excuses and more signs of weakness than anybody I've coached. You know that excuses are a sign of weakness? When you say, 'It's in my head' and this and that, those are excuses. That's weakness. And you can't show weakness to be a great player."
To hear such words from the 73-year-old legendary coach had to have come in extra heavy for Darling since Pitino has been coaching college basketball, along with a couple stints in the NBA, since 1975.
But that's all in the very distant rearview mirror at this point, and there's even a "Big Bells" award following each St. John's win that tells us as much.
Darling's Nickname Also Birthed the "Big Bells" Award That's Given Out After a St. John's Victory
Yes, Darling's 180-degree flip ended up inspiring Pitino to level up on the notable nickname by introducing a "Big Bells" award that the team doles out to the player they felt contributed most to the latest St. John's victory.
Specifically, it's a $150 red church bell that Pitino rings after each Red Storm win, with the player of the game's name taped to it.
To succinctly sum up the significantly improved point guard play for St. John's since the emergence of "Big Bells," look no further than what UConn's no-nonsense head coach Dan Hurley had to say:
"I give him [Darling] a ton of credit," Hurley said. "That guy is tough as nails. Just a clutch performer."
Now, all Pitino, Darling and the rest of the crew have to do is go out and beat the loaded Duke Blue Devils.
A tall order, for sure.
But it would be wild not to expect the Red Storm to be properly prepared by their storied head coach, who currently holds an astounding 915 career wins.
St. John's and Duke are scheduled to tip-off on CBS at 7:10 p.m. ET on Friday, March 27, at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
