USC wing Chad Baker-Mazara, a 6-foot-7 graduate student, is no longer a member of the basketball program, the school announced on Sunday.
The 26-year-old appeared in 26 games for the Trojans, averaging a team-leading 18.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 blocks while shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from three. He was the MVP of the Maui Invitational in November.
Baker-Mazara suffered an apparent leg injury early in the second half of USC’s 82-67 loss to No. 12 Nebraska on Saturday. He did not return, spending the rest of the game sitting on the baseline adjacent to the team’s bench alongside fans.
Coach Eric Musselman did not provide an update on the severity of the injury following the game. “He said he couldn’t go,” Musselman told reporters, adding that he had not yet spoken to the athletic trainer.
Asked whether it was normal for Baker-Mazara to be sitting next to the fans rather than on the bench, Musselman said it was because of a shortage of chairs.
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The Trojans have been without their other top scorer, 6-foot-5 junior guard Rodney Rice, since late November due to a shoulder injury. They are currently in the midst of a five-game losing streak that has greatly hurt their chances of making the NCAA Tournament. At 7-11 (18-11 overall), they’re eleventh in the Big Ten, tied with Minnesota and just behind Indiana. Their final two regular-season games before the conference tournament are Wednesday at Washington and Saturday against UCLA.
Baker-Mazara transferred to USC after helping Auburn reach the 2025 Final Four. He spent two seasons with the Tigers, averaging 11.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 44.9 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from three. He scored a team-high 18 points in AU’s 79-73 loss to Florida in the 2025 National Semifinal.
Prior to joining Auburn, Baker-Mazara played at Duquesne (2020-21), San Diego State (2021-22) and Northwest Florida State College (2022-23). He was named Mountain West Sixth Man of the Year in 2022 as a member of the Aztecs.
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