Chad Baker Mazara dismissed from USC as Trojans’ leading scorer

chad baker mazara, USC’s leading scorer, was dismissed from the program on Sunday, a move that strips the Trojans of their top offensive weapon as they head into a pivotal final week of the season.

Dismissal announced Sunday after Saturday injury exit

The school announced Sunday that sixth-year senior guard Chad Baker-Mazara was no longer a member of the team. He had left Saturday’s loss to Nebraska a few minutes into the second half after chasing down a lay-in and falling hard on the court; USC coach Eric Musselman said after the game that Baker-Mazara told coaches he was unable to return, and he spent the rest of the game in a folding chair on the baseline.

Team lost a five-point halftime lead, fell for fifth straight

The Trojans lost their fifth consecutive game when No. 12 Nebraska outscored them by 20 points in the second half after USC held a five-point lead at halftime. The loss left USC deep into a slump heading into what the school framed as a do-or-die stretch of the schedule.

Chad Baker Mazara’s scoring, shooting and role

As the team’s top scorer, Chad Baker Mazara averaged 18. 5 points per game and was the roster’s best three-point shooter at 38 percent; he was also described as the Trojans’ most reliable free-throw shooter. Those numbers, plus his energy, were credited with providing the offense with needed boosts at times.

Musselman’s view and the transfer-portal backstory

Coach Eric Musselman made Baker-Mazara one of his top targets in the transfer portal, citing the guard’s Final Four experience at Auburn last year and praising his “charisma” and “it factor. ” Musselman said in May, “There will never be a dull moment, ” and added, “Might be that I’ve got a little more on my plate. ”

From fill-in scorer to uneven availability in conference play

After lead guard Rodney Rice was lost for the season in November, Baker-Mazara stepped into the void and averaged 26 points per game over the remaining seven games of USC’s non-conference slate. He became less reliable through Big Ten play: five times during the conference schedule he played fewer than 20 minutes, limited at times by health and at other times for reasons that were less clear. A person familiar with the situation, not authorized to speak publicly, said it was not a single incident but an accumulation of issues that led to his exit.