Central Valley grad Dylan Darling leads Saint John’s to Sweet 16 with game-winning shot

SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane native Dylan Darling hit the game-winning shot to send Saint John’s to the Sweet 16 with a victory over Kansas in the NCAA Tournament.

Darling is one of several players from the Inland Northwest representing the region in the Sweet 16. Their former coaches are excited because they believe basketball players from this area often get overlooked.

Darling’s journey to college basketball’s highest level started at Central Valley High School, where he won Washington State 4A Player of the Year as a senior in 2022, averaging more than 33 points per game. He and several other tournament players also played club basketball for Hooptown Elite.

“For the coach to trust him to put him in with a few minutes left and then for him to get downhill and make a play was unbelievable. So it was quite a cool moment for a coach, and parent and all of the other things,” said Mike Hamilton, 16U coach at Hooptown Elite.

Hamilton coached Darling when he played club basketball with Hooptown Elite in Spokane. He also coached several other players from Hooptown who are in the NCAA Tournament, including Blake Buchanan from Coeur d’Alene, who now plays for Iowa State.

Hooptown’s founder Jamie Nilles says he’ll be keeping a close eye on all the Hooptown alumni through the rest of the tournament.

“I think they could meet, I think it would be in the chipper. If they could meet, that would be really cool because they know each other from the area. Dylan’s a little older than Blake but I’m sure they played,” said Nilles, the 17U coach at Hooptown Elite.

Other former Hooptown players include Idaho point guard Kolton Mitchell, who played with Buchanan at Lake City High School, and Gonzaga’s Steele Venters from Ellensburg.

Nilles says this is an opportunity to celebrate not only Hooptown’s program, but the quality of basketball in the Inland Northwest.

Both Darling and Buchanan’s teams will play Friday for a chance to advance to the Elite Eight. Hooptown alum Denham Wojcik and Michigan State will also play Friday.