Makai Mason made a name for himself on a national level by posting 31 points in a NCAA Tournament Round of 64 win over Baylor in 2016, Yale’s first-ever win in the Big Dance.
Now Mason has decided that if you can beat ’em, join ’em.
Several sources announced Thursday that Mason would join Baylor as a graduate transfer in the 2018-19 season following one more season at Yale in 2017-18.
Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports reported in February that Mason would play for the Elis in the 2017-18 season and become a graduate transfer following that season.
Mason was a standout during Yale’s NCAA Tournament run in 2016 but was injured in a scrimmage in November, reportedly needing to undergo surgery to repair his foot. Yale bowed out to Duke in the Round of 32 in the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
In 2015-16, Mason averaged 16.0 points, 3.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game.
Mason declared for the NBA Draft in March, per Sports Illustrated’s Pete Thamel, taking advantage of new draft rules that allow players to see where they are projected to be chosen and subsequently decide to return to school at their discretion.
“I’ve seen the recent history of the (Baylor) program and what the coaching staff has done to bring in guys who can compete at the highest level,” Mason reportedly told the Waco Tribune-Herald. “What they’ve done the last 10 years has been impressive. The coaching staff has been very welcoming to me. Competing for the national championship is the main goal.
“In the Ivy League you don’t play in that many nationally televised games and you’re not in the spotlight, so it’s hard to get your name out there,” Mason added. “It was a decent experience. But I knew I wanted to graduate from Yale.”
Mason was named captain of the Bulldogs for the 2017-18 season last month. Mason and the Elis will get another taste of Big 12 competition this season when they square off with TCU.