by John Walters

Starting Five

1. Makai Miracle

As someone noted, there’s a reason why Yale hasn’t lost an NCAA tournament game since 1962. Give it up for 6’0″ Eli sophomore guard, who was the most dominant player on the court in Providence in Yale’s 79-75 victory. Mason scored 31 points—the highest total of Day 1—and made all 11 of his free throw.

Makai means “toward the sea” in Hawaiian; he is not Hawaiian. His mom is just a little bit of a renegade. Also, the six-footer nabbed six rebounds, and we’ll let Taurean Prince (28 points in a valiant effort) of Baylor explain how that happened:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6A2ZgKV6n0

2. MH Knockout Pool

We began with 23 yesterday, and now we’re down to 19. Yesterday’s pickers and picks:

Me: Miami; Andy Roberts: Kentucky; Jordan B: Kentucky; Jacob: Utah; Brian Richmond: Iowa State; Bret Keyes: Duke; Dan McCann: Iowa State; mgrex03: Miami; Brian Murphy: Virginia; Kody: Baylor; Brian Conway: Virginia; Kent Brown: Indiana; Mark Stackow: Indiana; Jeff Proctor: Arizona; Sean Sullivan: Miami; Lorraine Walters: Arizona; Frank N.: Duke; Jude S.: Purdue; DC: Iowa State; AIR: Iowa State; Kinsey: Indiana; Fez: Indiana. Jimbo Slice: Utah.

So long, Kody, Jeff, Jude and sis. In our head we’re giving you a Talking Dead dearly departed montage. For the 19 of us who remain, our pick are due by 12:15 p.m.

My pick? I’m playing it safe today and taking Oregon.

3. Day One Dandies

Other notables from the first day of March Madness:

–UALR trailed Purdue 65-52 with 3:33 to play, and you were all ready to write “PURDUE” into the next bracket line, but then the Trojans roared back to force overtime before winning 85-83 in double OT. Josh Hagins (31 points) made two Steph Curry-range jumpers in the final 1:23 to be the hero. UALR has now won two NCAA tournament games in the past 30 years, both times beating a much higher seeded team from Indiana (Notre Dame in ’86). Truth: I went 14-2 in my pool yesterday. Lost one game by picking a 16-seed (FGCU) and this was the other.

—Marshall Plumlee does not want to ship off for boot camp just yet. Duke’s third and final Plumlee scored 23 points, perhaps all off dunks, in yesterday’s win over UNC-Wilmington.

–As Yale was taking down Baylor, coach Tony Bennett of Virginia was collapsing on the sideline due to dehydration, prompting Friend of the Blog (FOB) Greg Auman to note that Yale was Ivy League and Virginia is IV League.

–Arizona played 33 games without ever traveling west of Boulder, Colo. The committee sent them to Providence, Rhode Island, where they got smoked. Coincidence? Can we hear an “internal time clocks” excuse? And will Sean Miller ever watch Broadcast News the same way again?

4. Making a Mockery of Making a Murderer?

Coming to my local palace of performing art, the Beacon Theater, on April 17: the two defense attorneys from the NetFlix hit documentary, Making a Murderer, Jerry Buting and Dean Strang. Also, these two will be “playing” the Beacon just four days after Jerry Seinfeld. What do I think of these two attorneys and their “A Conversation on Justice” making a profit off Steven Avery’s case? I object!

5.  Mbithi Bites It In Bath

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3NXead8yIc

Don’t blame Kenyan distance runner Robert Mbithi for this tumble after running a half marathon in Bath, England, in 1:01. Blame the guy holding the tape on your right who released it before Mbithi could break it. Party foul.

Chesapeake Bay Watch

Monday: $4.44 (Sell or hold)

Tuesday: $3.96 (a drop of 10.8%; BUY!!!!)

This morning: $5.20 ( a jump of 31%!!!!)

“It’s so (bleeping’) easy. It’s so easy!”

Music 101

Black Velvet Band

Her eyes they shone like the diamonds/You’d think she was queen of the land/And her hair hung over her shoulders/Tied up with a black velvet band. Ah, she’s a bonnie lass, that one. Gar-jus, she is!

Remote Patrol

March Madness: Day 2

12: 15 p.m CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV

I could see all four 10 seeds  (Syracuse, VCU, Pitt and Temple) winning. Also, a pair of good 6-11 games after 9:30 p.m., as the Irish meet Michigan and Texas faces Northern Iowa. First game tips off at 12:15, Cuse and Dayton. Note to coaches: wear an undershirt.