Duke and St. John's Clash in Sweet 16 Showdown

Naismith Award favorite Cameron Boozer leads top-seeded Duke against Rick Pitino's resurgent St. John's squad.

Mar. 27, 2026 at 3:49am

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Top-seeded Duke, led by freshman sensation Cameron Boozer, will face off against Rick Pitino's resurgent St. John's team in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Duke survived a scare in the opening rounds, while St. John's reached this stage for the first time since 1999. Both teams are looking to advance to the Elite Eight as they pursue a national championship.

Why it matters

This matchup features two storied college basketball programs with rich histories. Duke is seeking its sixth national title, while St. John's is looking to return to prominence under the guidance of veteran coach Rick Pitino. The winner will move one step closer to cutting down the nets in the Final Four.

The details

Duke freshman forward Cameron Boozer has been dominant in the tournament so far, recording 20 and 21 double-doubles in the first two rounds. The Blue Devils will also get a boost with the potential return of injured players Patrick Ngongba II and Caleb Foster. St. John's is led by Big East Player of the Year Zuby Ejiofor, who will be tasked with trying to limit Boozer and Duke's rebounding advantage.

  • Duke defeated No. 16 Siena 71-65 in the first round.
  • Duke defeated No. 9 TCU 81-58 in the second round.
  • St. John's defeated No. 4 Kansas 67-65 in the second round.
  • St. John's defeated No. 12 Northern Iowa 79-53 in the first round.

The players

Cameron Boozer

A freshman forward for Duke and a Naismith Award favorite, Boozer has been dominant in the tournament so far, recording 20 and 21 double-doubles in the first two rounds.

Zuby Ejiofor

The Big East Player of the Year for St. John's, Ejiofor will be tasked with trying to limit Boozer and Duke's rebounding advantage.

Rick Pitino

The veteran head coach of St. John's, Pitino is making his 14th Sweet 16 appearance and first with the Red Storm, representing a renaissance for both coach and program.

Jon Scheyer

The head coach of Duke, Scheyer is looking to lead the Blue Devils to their sixth national title and first since the retirement of Mike Krzyzewski.

Patrick Ngongba II

The Duke center is cleared to play a second game after returning from a 19-day layoff due to right foot soreness.

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What they’re saying

“Pat responded well. You never know how that's going to go. He's on track to play again (Friday), which is a really big deal for us.”

— Jon Scheyer, Duke Head Coach

“I just missed it every single day I was out of it. So I realized there's no reason to try and get out because I knew how much I missed it.”

— Rick Pitino

“Obviously just a special talent coming in as a freshman, really smart player, understanding the game pretty well. It's never a one-man job, especially with Boozer. Really talented, really physical. We just got to make sure he sees bodies and really just get at them, apply the pressure, press for 40 minutes.”

— Zuby Ejiofor, St. John's Big East Player of the Year

What’s next

The winner of the Duke-St. John's matchup will advance to the Elite Eight, one step closer to the Final Four and a chance at the national championship.

The takeaway

This Sweet 16 showdown features two storied programs with rich histories, as Duke seeks its sixth national title and St. John's looks to continue its resurgence under veteran coach Rick Pitino. The outcome will determine which team moves one step closer to cutting down the nets in the Final Four.