Why Duke basketball beating St. Johns points to a national championship for the Blue Devils

History favors Duke basketball in its Sweet 16 matchup against St. John’s in the 2026 Men’s NCAA Tournament.

Each time the Blue Devils have won a national championship, they’ve faced the Red Storm along the way. Only one of those meetings came in the NCAA Tournament, with Duke beating the Johnnies 78-61 in the 1991 Elite 8. The other four (1992, 2001, 2010, 2015) came during the regular season.

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Duke’s 1992 national championship run also ran through now St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino and the Kentucky Wildcats in the Elite 8. The Blue Devils won 104-103 in overtime behind a Christian Laettner buzzer beater.

The Hall of Fame coach referenced the moment following the No. 5 Red Storm’s 67-65 win over No. 4 Kansas on Sunday, March 22 in the second round behind a Dylan Darling buzzer beater.

“You win some you lose some,” Pitino said. “I’m hoping we can get Duker at the buzzer next to make up for that Christian Laettner shot.”

The East Region’s top-seeded Blue Devils (34-2) are coming off a 81-58 win over TCU, outscoring the Horned Frogs 43-24 in the second half. Cameron Boozer scored 19 points, 17 coming in the second half, with 11 rebounds while Isaiah Evans (17 points), Dame Sarr (14 points) and Maliq Brown (12 points) joined Boozer as double-figure scorers.

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Tipoff between Blue Devils and Red Storm is set for 7:10 p.m. ET on Friday, March 27 from Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The winner advances to the Elite 8.

Here’s a look at Duke basketball’s history vs. St John’s and head coach Rick Pitino.

FROM 1992: What Rick Pitino said about Duke, 1992 Elite Eight ahead of Sweet 16

DUKE MEN’S BASKETBALL: Complete coverage of the Blue Devils from the Fayetteville Observer

Duke basketball wins over St. John’s during championship seasons

March 24, 1991: Duke 78, St. John’s 61 (Elite 8)

Dec. 5, 1991: Duke 91, St. John’s 81 (ACC/Big East Challenge)

Feb. 18, 2001: Duke 91, St. John’s 59

Dec. 5, 2009: Duke 80, St. John’s 71

Jan. 25, 2015: Duke 77, St. John’s 68

Duke…

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Publish date : 2026-03-24 18:58:00

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