March Madness: St. John’s Buzzer-Beater, High Point’s Historic Run Earns Praise From John Calipari + Florida Shocked By Iowa episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 23, 2026 · 17 MIN

March Madness: St. John’s Buzzer-Beater, High Point’s Historic Run Earns Praise From John Calipari + Florida Shocked By Iowa

from The Best of the Sports Shop

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex discuss the thrilling buzzer-beater that sent St. John’s Red Storm men's basketball to the Sweet 16, the shocking early exit of Florida Gators men's basketball at the hands of Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball and the historic tournament run by High Point Panthers men's basketball, including the praise from John Calipari acknowledging High Point’s program. St. John’s Red Storm men's basketball pulled off one of the most thrilling wins of the early 2026 NCAA Tournament, defeating No. 4 seed Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball 67-65 with a buzzer-beating layup from guard Dylan Darling in their second-round matchup. Darling’s shot, his only made field goal of the game, came at the horn after Kansas had fought back from a deficit and tied the game with under 15 seconds left, sending St. John’s to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999. The Red Storm had opened the tournament with a convincing first-round win over Northern Iowa, showcasing balanced play under head coach Rick Pitino. With the win, St. John’s improved to 30-6 on the season and advanced to face No. 1 overall seed Duke Blue Devils men's basketball in the Sweet 16, marking a major milestone for the program and its first deep March run in nearly three decades. How good is St. Johns? Florida Gators men's basketball saw its 2026 NCAA Tournament run end in heartbreaking fashion with a 73-72 second‑round loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball. The top‑seeded defending national champions, who entered the tournament after a strong 27-8 season and as SEC regular‑season champs under head coach Todd Golden, won their first‑round game decisively but couldn’t get past Iowa in the Round of 32. Did anyone see this upset coming? What happened? High Point Panthers men's basketball enjoyed a historic and memorable run in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, marking the most successful March showing in program history. After a dominant regular season in which they finished 31–5 overall, won the Big South regular season and conference tournament, and earned the highest tournament seed in school history (No. 12), the Panthers made waves in the Round of 64 by pulling off a stunning 83-82 upset of No. 5 seed Wisconsin. That victory was the first NCAA Tournament win in program history and also High Point’s first win ever over a Power Five opponent. High Point then advanced to the Round of 32, where they lost to the No. 4 seed Arkansas 94-88, ending High Point’s historic march just short of the Sweet 16. After High Point's loss, Arkansas head coach John Calipari praised High Point. What did Calipari say?

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March Madness: St. John’s Buzzer-Beater, High Point’s Historic Run Earns Praise From John Calipari + Florida Shocked By Iowa

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