St. John’s is quietly proving they should be considered a surging dark horse contender
St. John’s basketball has emerged as an impressive contender heading into this year’s NCAA Tournament.
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By this point, there was the pressure of expectations and their own reputation. Through its dominance, the Dutchess Community College men’s basketball had earned the hype and answered any questions about its place within the conference.
So, in a season that has been a runaway success, failure here would’ve been tantamount to fumbling at the goal line. In their estimation.
“We didn’t want to come this far just to lose,” sophomore Amadou Diallo said. “It wasn’t easy to get all these wins and get the No. 1 (seed). We needed to win it all or it would’ve felt like a waste.”
The Falcons put to rest those fears, and their opponents, rolling through the Region 15 tournament last weekend to capture their second championship in three years.
Dutchess beat third-seeded Monroe, 88-81, Sunday in the final at Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn. The reaction afterward, Diallo said, was a feeling of fulfillment in “getting the job done,” and a bit of relief.
“I was pumped and excited, of course, but this is something we expected to do,” said Robert Piano, who was named Region 15 Coach of the Year. “We had an idea what we had with this roster and, we talked about it in August, that we expect to be great.”
The Falcons (25-1) lived up to their own lofty expectations, throttling most opponents in the regular season and earning a national No. 1 ranking last month. They advance to the NJCAA Division III men’s basketball championship that runs March 12-15 at Herkimer Community College.
“We’re peaking right now and playing our best basketball,” Piano said. “But we’re gonna be playing against 11 of the best teams in the country; reputable programs with guys who’ve been there. It’ll be tough, and execution will be more important than ever. That said, there’s a reason we’re here, and we’ll be ready to play.”
When Dutchess last won the region in 2023, it finished 12th in the national tournament. But there is a belief within that this group can contend for that crown.
“I can’t wait to play at the highest level and compete against the elite teams,” said Diallo, a Queens native. “Everybody is ecxited and locked in.”
The Falcons crushed Suffolk CC, 103-72, in the regional quarterfinals last week before cruising to an 89-58 win over Kingsborough in the semifinals Saturday.
Diallo was named tournament MVP after starring in the final. The explosive point guard had 24 points, seven assists and five steals, helping Dutchess build an 11-point lead then stave off Monroe’s second-half push.
“It’s a nice award, but I wasn’t thinking too much about it,” he said. “All I was thinking about was us being champions and how much my teammates stepped up. Those guys are dogs and I’m lucky to play with them.”
Fellow all-region star Alijah England added 27 points, going 10 of 15 from the field, and Nouhoun Diarra had 13 points, eight rebounds and three steals off the bench.
“This is a collaborative effort, and the group works really well together,” said Piano, who also praised the work of assistant coaches Conor Maisch, Justin Kinlock, Ian Umpierre and Matthew Randolph. “We teach, but the players are the ones who follow through. I’m extremely proud of these guys.”
Dutchess has been propelled thus far by a smothering defense that is holding opponents to 37.7% from the field and 62.3 points per game, good for second in the nation among Division III teams. Their 15 steals per game also ranks second, and the 6.8 blocks has them third.
“I believe in Coach Piano; he did a great job building this team,” said Diallo, who transferred from Iowa Western CC. “After the first couple practices, I knew this was something special.”
Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4826; Twitter: @StephenHaynes4
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