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Chad Baker-Mazara controversy, explained: Why did USC abruptly dismiss leading scorer weeks before March Madness? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Just weeks before March Madness begins, the USC Trojans shared some significant college basketball news on Sunday.

USC announced that its leading scorer, Chad Baker-Mazara, was no longer a member of its program.

The guard, who transferred to the Trojans as the fifth team of his college career last offseason, left the floor with an injury against Nebraska on Sunday, then returned to the bench while sitting away from the rest of the team. 

Here's what's known about Baker-Mazara's abrupt dismissal from USC. 

MORE:Darryn Peterson's full timeline of Kansas missed games, benchings

What happened to Chad Baker-Mazara?

Baker-Mazara was dismissed from USC's men's basketball team on Sunday, March 1, the team announced.

"Chad Baker-Mazara is no longer a member of the USC Men's Basketball program," the team's statement read.

No details have yet been released as to why Baker-Mazara was dismissed. However, during Sunday's game against Nebraska, the guard left the game with an apparent injury early in the second half after a hard fall.

Head coach Eric Musselman said Baker-Mazara told him he "couldn't go" after the injury, per ESPN. When Baker-Mazara then returned to the bench area, he did not sit with the rest of the team; instead sitting near injured player Rodney Rice in an area with fans.

Musselman said Baker-Mazara was sitting next to fans because of a shortage of chairs on the bench, per ESPN.

Interesting part of Nebraska vs. USC game yesterday, Chad Baker-Mazara left the game with an injury briefly, came back out to the court but didn't sit on the main bench with the team rather courtside for the rest of the game.

Today, USC moves on from Baker-Mazara.⬇️ https://t.co/PQdAqQco8Ppic.twitter.com/RXt0syRiDE

— Chase Matteson (@ChaseMatteson) March 1, 2026

Why did Chad Baker-Mazara leave USC?

It is unknown whether Baker-Mazara chose to step away from the Trojans or if the team dismissed him. There have also not been any full details of the reasoning behind his departure.

According to ESPN, USC spokesperson Kristen Keller told The Associated Press in a text message: "We have nothing additional to add at this time."

According toRyan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times, a source said Baker-Mazara's dismissal "wasn't any one incident, but an accumulation of issues."

BENDER: Latest projections for 2026 NCAA Tournament Field of 68 

How old is Chad Baker-Mazara?

Baker-Mazara is 26 years old. He has been one of the oldest players across college basketball in the 2025-26 season.

He has been playing his sixth NCAA season at USC.

Where is Chad Baker-Mazara transferring to?

There are no known plans for Baker-Mazara to pursue another year at the collegiate level. In fact, should his dismissal from USC stand, the guard's NCAA career is likely over.

Chad Baker-Mazara college eligibility

Baker-Mazara, at the time, does not have any remaining collegiate eligibility. He had been playing this season due to the NCAA's temporary waiver that allowed student-athletes who previously suited up for a non-NCAA school to play a fourth season at an NCAA school. 

However, with Baker-Mazara using that final eligibility in 2025-26, his time in college basketball has likely concluded.

MORE: How the 2025 freshman class stacks up with the best ever

Chad Baker-Mazara college timeline

Baker-Mazara has had one of the longer collegiate careers of any active player, including stops at five different programs.

Duquesne, 2020-21

Baker-Mazara's collegiate career began at Duquesne, where he committed as a prospect out of Spire Academy (Ohio).

He appeared in 15 games and made 13 starts at the school as a freshman, averaging 9.5 points on 43.8 percent shooting.

San Diego State, 2021-22

After his freshman season, Baker-Mazara transferred to San Diego State for one year. 

In 2021-22, he averaged 6.4 points and 2.0 rebounds in 31 games, being named the Mountain West Sixth Player of the Year.

Northwest Florida State, 2022-23

Baker-Mazara entered the transfer portal for a third time in 2022, deciding to join Northwest Florida State, which is a junior college.

He averaged 15.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists for the Raiders in 2022-23.

Auburn, 2023-25

The furthest stability of Baker-Mazara's college career came at Auburn, where he transferred to after the 2022-23 season. He would spend two years playing for the Tigers.

Over two seasons, he started 43 games, averaging 11.2 points and 3.3 rebounds, and was a key member of the 2024-25 Auburn squad that won the SEC regular-season title and made a Final Four run.

After his two years at Auburn, Baker-Mazara had one year of eligibility remaining due to the NCAA's temporary waiver about playing for a non-NCAA school. 

USC, 2025-26

Baker-Mazara decided to use his final collegiate eligibility at USC this season. He has become the Trojans' leading scorer, averaging career highs in points, rebounds and assists per game.

A knee injury resulted in a few missed games for Baker-Mazara, but up until his dismissal, he was the Trojans' leading force as they hoped to earn an NCAA Tournament bid.

Chad Baker-Mazara 247

Baker-Mazara was not rated by 247Sports as a prospect coming out of high school. 

The 6-foot-7 guard/forward was, however, given a four-star rating while in the transfer portal in 2025 before he committed to USC.

Chad Baker-Mazara recruiting class

Baker-Mazara was originally a member of the 2020 recruiting class. His freshman season was played at Duquesne in 2020-21.

Other members of the 2020 recruiting class include well-established NBA stars like Jalen Green, Evan Mobley and Jonathan Kuminga. While Baker-Mazara remained in college, many of the other members in the class quickly went to the NBA.

In honor of Chad Baker Mazara’s collegiate career officially coming to an end, here were the Top 5 recruits in his class. pic.twitter.com/BDhExAvTmZ

— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) March 2, 2026

USC's chances of making March Madness

USC, which is now 18-11 this season, had been in a strong position to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2023, but that has changed a bit.

The Trojans have lost five-straight games, and with two games remaining, they've been projected on the outside of the bubble. ESPN's latest bracketology has USC as one of the "first four out" teams.

The Coppa Italia is back: Inter are set to face Como away from home in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final tie between the sides, with kick-off at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia scheduled for 21:00 CET on Tuesday 3 March.

The Nerazzurri reached the semi-finals after a 5-1 win over Venezia in the round of 16 in December and a 2-1 victory over Torino in the quarter-finals in February. Como, meanwhile, have had a longer road to the last four, starting their Coppa Italia campaign in the first round in August. To reach the semi-finals, the Lariani knocked out Südtirol, Sassuolo, Fiorentina, and Napoli.

The clash between Como and Inter promises to be an intriguing one, with a place in the final at the Olimpico in Rome at stake. Unlike previous rounds, the semi-finals are played over two legs. If the tie is level after 180 minutes, extra time will be played, followed by penalties if necessary.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Inter and Como have met nine times in the Coppa Italia. The record stands at six wins for the Nerazzurri and three draws. Their first encounter dates back to 1968, while the most recent meeting in Italy's national cup competition came in the round of 16 in 1991. The first leg at San Siro ended 2-2, with Inter winning 2-1 in the return fixture in Como thanks to goals from Berti and Klinsmann. That match at the Sinigaglia remains the last time Como and Inter faced each other outside of Serie A. The two teams will meet again in the Coppa Italia 34 years and 79 days on from that encounter.

Inter have won five of the seven Coppa Italia matches they've played in Como (with two draws), including the two most recent meetings. Como will contest a Coppa Italia semi-final for only the second time in their history, following their two-legged tie against Sampdoria in the 1985/86 season.

THE NERAZZURRI'S FORM

Inter are the team from the top five European leagues that have won the most away games this season across all competitions while keeping a clean sheet: twelve times in total, including seven of their last eight (L1).

The Coppa Italia has also delivered some excellent stats for Inter. They are the only team in the tournament to have scored more than one goal from outside the box this season (two – Esposito and Thuram against Venezia). Furthermore, Como (eight) and Inter (four) are the sides with the most first-half goals so far in this edition of the competition. However, while the Lariani have conceded two in the opening 45 minutes, the Nerazzurri haven’t shipped a single goal in the first half.

The clash is also interesting when it comes to headers: Inter have scored the most headed goals in Serie A this campaign (14), while Como are one of three teams to have conceded the fewest goals in this manner in the league so far (just two, the same as Inter and Roma).

LONG-RANGE GOAL SPECIALISTS

The tie features the three Serie A players who have scored the most goals from outside the box across all competitions since August: Nico Paz (five), Piotr Zielinski (four), and Hakan Çalhanoglu (four).

UNSTOPPABLE DIMARCO

Federico Dimarco (83 – 38 shots and 45 chances created) ranks third in terms of shot participations across the top five European leagues in 2026, behind only Lamine Yamal (100) and Deniz Undav (84)

Federico Dimarco (22, seven goals and 15 assists) and Alessandro Bastoni (eight, two goals and six assists) are the two Serie A defenders who have been involved in the most goals since August across all competitions.

OPPONENTS: COMO

Fresh off a 3-1 win over Lecce (goals from Douvikas, Rodriguez, and Kempf), Cesc Fàbregas' Como have leapfrogged Juventus in the Serie A standings, moving up to fifth place with 48 points – one more than the Bianconeri. With 46 goals scored, the Larians have the third-best attack in the league behind Inter and Juventus. At the other end, they have the second-best defensive record with just 20 goals conceded, level with AC Milan and just one more than Roma.

In their last five league matches, Fabregas' side have beaten Lecce and Juventus, drawn with Atalanta and AC Milan, and lost to Fiorentina. In the Coppa Italia, Como have had a long journey, starting from the first round: they defeated Südtirol 3-1 in August (Douvikas brace, Da Cunha) before knocking out Sassuolo with a 3-0 victory thanks to a Rodriguez brace and a goal from Douvikas. The Lariani then eliminated Fiorentina in the round of 16 (3-1, goals from Sergi Roberto, Nico Paz, and Morata), followed by a 7-6 penalty shootout victory over Napoli after a 1-1 draw in the 90 minutes (Baturina scoring).

Como are known for their possession-based, attacking style, and Fabregas sets his side up in a 4-2-3-1 system that relies on the skill and imagination of his players. Greek forward Tasos Douvikas leads the scoring charts with twelve goals across all competitions, followed by Nico Paz on ten.

DISCIPLINARY SITUATION

SUSPENDED Como: -Inter: -

ONE BOOKING AWAY FROM SUSPENSION Como: Diego Carlos, Kühn, Morata, Paz, Ramón J., Roberto S., Van der Brempt Inter: Esposito, Kamate, Sucic

REFEREE

Marco Di Bello will take charge of the match at the Sinigaglia. Referee: Di Bello Assistants: Peretti - Colarossi Fourth official: Zufferli VAR: Mazzoleni AVAR: Maresca

UPDATES ON INTER TV

You'll find all the usual updates and pre-match coverage on Inter TV. Our Livematch show before Como vs. Inter will go live at 20:15 CET and also be available on the Club's official YouTube channel until 20:50 CET. After the game, stay tuned for full post-match coverage, including analysis, insights, and interviews.

The NFL draft is two months away, however, for fans of the Las Vegas Raiders, the drama should be over.

The Raiders, of course, own the No. 1 overall pick in the April 23-25 draft.

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner, had been the early favorite to be the team’s pick. But that went to the next level after his incredible play in a NCAA playoff win over Oregon. Mendoza was near perfect in the game.

He looks like the clear-cut choice. The Raiders badly need a young quarterback and Mendoza fits the bill perfectly, it seems.

Still, we our our readers. Yes, they agree. In a popular poll, about 90 percent of the poll takers agree that Mendoza is the choice.

So, it’s clear most fans aren’t on the fence about Mendoza. They aren’t eying anyone else. They don’t want the Raiders trade the pick for a load of compensation.

They want Mendoza.

Here are some of your responses:

Michael Scotto: The Portland Trail Blazers and Chris Youngblood have agreed to a two-way contract, league sources told @hoopshype . Youngblood appeared in 32 NBA games with Oklahoma City Thunder. In the G League with the OKC Blue, he averaged 20.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.2 steals

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This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: The Portland Trail Blazers and Chris Youngblood have …