In what might be one of the most shocking storylines in recent college basketball memory, a report emerged over the weekend that USC Trojans’ leading scorer Chad Baker-Mazara is no longer a member of the team.
Details on the situation are still relatively unclear, but as of Monday, March 2nd, there are a few key points that have been verified as facts. During USC’s Sunday game against Nebraska, Baker-Mazara went down with an injury. After going to the locker room, the star player returned, but didn’t sit on the bench with the rest of his teammates.
It was then reported that Baker-Mazara was no longer a member of the USC basketball team, as the news was given with no reason or explanation for the decision.
The forward was averaging 18.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists on 44.4% shooting in 26 games before the news came out that he is no longer with the team.
What Happened To Chad Baker-Mazara With USC? Is He No Longer On The Team?
In the Trojans’ Sunday contest against Nebraska, which they lost and are now at risk of missing out on the NCAA college basketball tournament, Baker-Mazara went down with a leg injury after a hard fall on a blocked shot in the second half.
The star went to the bench and reportedly told head coach Eric Musselman that he was unable to return to the game. He then exited to the locker room, returning shortly after to sit courtside with fans and injured teammate Rodney Rice for the rest of the game.
It was reportedly shortly thereafter that Baker-Mazara was no longer on the USC basketball team, in what might be one of the most abrupt ends to a college basketball player’s tenure with a school in recent memory.
Los Angeles–Chad Baker-Mazara is no longer a member of the USC Men’s Basketball program, the team announced Sunday. Baker-Mazara, a graduate student, appeared in 26 contests for the Trojans in 2025-26. USC has
“Chad Baker-Mazara is no longer a member of the USC Men’s Basketball program, the team announced Sunday. Baker-Mazara, a graduate student, appeared in 26 contests for the Trojans in 2025-26. USC has two regular-season games remaining, traveling to Washington on March 4 and hosting UCLA on March 7 before the start of the Big Ten Tournament next week,” USC wrote in a statement.
When asked after the game, Musselman gave a short response about Baker-Mazara’s availability after his apparent leg injury.
“He [Baker-Mazara] said he couldn’t go,” Musselman said. “I haven’t talked to the trainer. He said he couldn’t go.”
“We have nothing additional to add at this time,” team spokesperson Kristen Keller said in a text message to The Associated Press.
Writing for the LA Times, Ryan Kartje reported that an ‘accumulation of issues’ could have been a reason behind his dismissal.
“The school announced Sunday that sixth-year senior guard Chad Baker-Mazara was no longer a member of the team. USC didn’t immediately offer a reason for his departure, but a person familiar with the situation not authorized to speak publicly told The Times that it was not one incident but an accumulation of issues that led to his exit,” he wrote.
Besides that, there are no other confirmed reasons why the school cut ties with the star forward.
Is Chad Baker-Mazara’s College Career Over After He Was Dismissed By USC?
Baker-Mazara arrived at USC this season as a graduate student after helping Auburn make a run to the Final Four last year. It was the 26-year-old’s fifth stop in his college career in what was expected to be his last season in the collegiate ranks.
“He committed to Duquesne out of Spire Academy (Ohio), transferred to San Diego State after his freshman year for one season, then spent a year in junior college at Northwest Florida State,” Jeff Borzello wrote for ESPN.
“Baker-Mazara finally found some stability at Auburn during his two campaigns with the Tigers. He started 43 games, averaging 11.2 points and 3.3 rebounds and shooting nearly 40% from 3-point range. He was a key starter on Auburn’s 2024-25 team that won the SEC regular-season title and advanced to the Final Four.”
This season, Baker-Mazara was the leading total points scorer for USC, and while missing a few games earlier in the year, stepped up to replace Rice, who went down in late 2025 with a season-ending shoulder injury and subsequent surgery.
As for Baker-Mazara, he is out of eligibility, and his dismissal from the Trojans likely means he is done playing college basketball. Until more details come out about his departure from the USC basketball team, his future is uncertain.
In his five division I college basketball seasons from 2020 until Sunday, in 145 career games, Baker-Mazara averaged 11.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, two assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.9 blocks on 44.3/39.3/88.3 shooting splits.
According to NBADraftRoom.com, the forward could be a possible second-round pick in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft, but until it is certain what happened over the weekend at USC, his draft stock will be up in the air.
With the loss to Nebraska and now without the star forward, USC’s hopes of making the NCAA March Madness Tournament with an 18-11 (7-11 Big Ten) record are all but gone.
What Happened To Chad Baker-Mazara? Latest Details On USC Exit And Dismissal