Chad Baker Mazara dismissed as USC’s leading scorer

USC announced Sunday that sixth-year senior guard chad baker mazara is no longer a member of the men’s basketball team, a move that arrives on the doorstep of a pivotal final week and further imperils the Trojans’ NCAA tournament hopes.

Chad Baker Mazara dismissed from program

The school said Sunday that Chad Baker-Mazara was no longer a member of the team; the school didn’t immediately offer a reason, and a person familiar with the situation not authorized to speak publicly said it was not one incident but an accumulation of issues that led to his exit.

How the Nebraska game played into the decision

Baker-Mazara left Saturday’s loss to Nebraska a few minutes into the second half after he chased down a lay-in and fell hard on the court, and USC coach Eric Musselman said after the game that Baker-Mazara told coaches he was unable to return. He spent the rest of the game in a folding chair on the baseline as the Trojans, who led by five at halftime, were outscored by 20 in the second half by the No. 12 Cornhuskers and suffered their fifth consecutive loss.

Scoring, shooting and missed minutes

As the team’s leading scorer, Baker-Mazara averaged 18. 5 points per game and was the Trojans’ best three-point shooter at 38%, while also being the team’s most reliable free-throw shooter. He averaged 26 points per game over the remaining seven games of USC’s non-conference slate but became less reliable during Big Ten play; five times during USC’s conference schedule he played fewer than 20 minutes in a game for reasons that included health and other causes that were unclear in the provided context.

From Auburn Final Four to transfer-portal target

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

Roster ripple effects and earlier injuries

After lead guard Rodney Rice was lost for the season in November, Baker-Mazara stepped into the void and became USC’s most consistent scorer, but the exit on the doorstep of March leaves the Trojans without one of their most dynamic scorers during a do-or-die stretch. USC coach Eric Musselman also said it has been tough to cope with Rondey Rice’s absence on the night the Trojans lost at UCLA, a separate mention in the provided context.