Chad Baker-Mazara Leaves USC Basketball Team After Re-Aggravated Knee Injury Against Nebraska
Chad Baker-Mazara is no longer a member of the USC men's basketball program, the school announced Sunday night, March 1, 2026. The sixth-year senior and the Trojans' leading scorer departed the program following what the school confirmed was a combination of accumulated issues — not any single incident — capping a dramatic collapse for both player and team at the worst possible moment in the season.
The announcement arrived hours after Baker-Mazara re-aggravated his knee during Saturday's 82-67 home loss to Nebraska, exiting the game early in the second half and not returning. The knee issue initially surfaced in early February against Indiana and had been a recurring source of uncertainty throughout the back half of USC's Big Ten schedule.
Baker-Mazara's Departure Devastates USC Basketball NCAA Tournament Hopes
The timing is catastrophic for a Trojans program that has now lost five consecutive games and sits at 18-11 overall, 7-11 in Big Ten play. USC's NCAA Tournament candidacy was already hanging by a thread before Sunday's news. Losing Baker-Mazara — the team's statistical engine — with two regular-season games remaining and March Madness selection weekend approaching makes a bid essentially untenable without a dramatic conference tournament run.
Baker-Mazara had averaged 18.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game across 26 appearances this season, shooting 44.4% from the field and 38.1% from three. He was on the Julius Erving Award's mid-season top 10 list for the second consecutive year and had produced nine 20-point outings, two of which exceeded 30 points.
His last game in a USC uniform ended at 14 points on 4-of-9 shooting in 19 minutes, cut short when he fell hard chasing down a layup attempt and failed to return after halftime. Coach Eric Musselman told reporters after the Nebraska loss that Baker-Mazara had informed the coaching staff he was unable to continue.
What Comes Next for the Trojans Without Their Leading Scorer
USC now faces its final two regular-season games without the player who carried the program after starting point guard Rodney Rice was lost for the season in November. Baker-Mazara had averaged 26 points over the seven non-conference games that followed Rice's injury, providing the offensive identity the Trojans built their Big Ten campaign around.
