Chad Baker-Mazara Leaves USC Basketball
The University of Southern California (USC) announced this Sunday the departure of Chad Baker-Mazara, its top scorer, from the men’s basketball program. The news was confirmed by Kristen Keller, team spokesperson, through a brief statement that did not offer details on the reasons for the separation. Baker-Mazara left Saturday’s game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at the start of the second half, after a fall following a block of a shot by Pryce Sandfort. He informed coach Eric Musselman that he could not continue in the game. The player, instead of staying on the bench, sat among the fans next to the injured Rodney Rice.Baker-Mazara, a 26-year-old graduate student, arrived at USC last spring after a college career that included stints with the Duquesne Dukes, San Diego State Aztecs, Northwest Florida State Raiders, and Auburn Tigers. During his two seasons with Auburn, he started in 43 games, averaging 11.2 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, with a percentage close to 40% in three-point shots. He was part of the team that won the Southeastern Conference regular season title and reached the Final Four in the 2024-25 season. In his only season with USC, he became the team’s main offensive reference after Rodney Rice’s injury. Baker-Mazara averaged 18.5 points per game in 26 games, as well as 4.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists, the best figures of his career. The player missed three games in February due to a knee injury, but returned to score 21 points against the Oregon Ducks and 25 against the UCLA Bruins before Saturday’s game. The Trojans, with an 18-11 record and 7-11 in the Big Ten Conference, are looking to maintain their aspirations of qualifying for the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament for the first time since 2023. The team will close out the regular season with games against Washington and UCLA.“He said he couldn’t continue,” Musselman explained after the match.
Eric Musselman
