Folk heroes come out of nowhere this time of year, and John Poulakidas of Yale has cemented his status as an instant legend.
One day after Oakland’s Jack Gohlke etched his name forever into March Madness history by fronting No. 14 Oakland to a takedown of blue-blooded Kentucky, Poulakidas scored 28 points Friday to lead No. 13 Yale to the Round-of-32 from the same seed line to oust No.4 Auburn in Spokane.
Before the Bulldogs face No. 5 San Diego State in the next round, let’s meet the junior guard who helped them join Princeton as the second straight Ivy League representative to advance to the second round.
Poulakidas, who hit 10 of 15 shots overall and six of nine from 3-point range against Auburn, was voted the team’s most-improved player this season.
His 28 points Friday were more than double his average of 13.1 points per game during the regular season.
“I think after I hit my first couple of shots, obviously the floodgates opened,” said Poulakidas, whose step-back 3-pointer with 2:10 remaining gave Yale a 73-72 lead it would not relinquish. “I’m just glad we have this opportunity and could capitalize on it today.
“We have a very undervalued league, obviously everyone saw what Princeton did last year, and for us to come into this building today against a top-10 team in the country, and do what we did, I’m very proud of everyone in our locker room.”
The 6-foot-6 wing was a three-star recruit out of high school in Illinois, and chose Yale over Princeton, Wake Forest and Rutgers, among other Division I programs.
“Because attending this university is a 40-year decision, not just a four-year one,” Poulakidas is quoted on the team’s official website.
“And I feel that it was best suited for me on and off the court. Not only is Yale an elite academic institution, but Coach [James] Jones and his staff have built a tremendously strong basketball program.”