11 days after entering the transfer portal, Chad Baker-Mazara has reached a decision.
The 25-year-old announced on social media Monday morning that he will be heading to the University of Southern California for his final year of eligibility.
The All-SEC wing was Auburn’s second-leading scorer last season during their historic run, averaging 12.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists.
Earlier this month, he led the team in their Final Four defeat with 18 points, including two second-half three-pointers.
Baker-Mazara was a fan favorite on Bruce Pearl’s squad, but they have already made efforts to replace him. Last week, the orange and blue added Elyjah Freeman from Lincoln Memorial University. The 6'8" small forward posted 18.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game last season. The Division II star shot 57% from the field and 46% from behind the arc this past season.
“Elyjah Freeman is your classic late bloomer,” Pearl said. “He was under-recruited out of high school, goes to Lincoln Memorial and just does a tremendous job. One of the best offensive players in all of Division II basketball as a freshman, Elyjah is an incredibly hard worker, dedicated, and driven. He’s got some instincts that are hard to teach. He also has the size of a forward, but he will play a big guard position for Auburn. Incredible mom and great support at home. He was one of the best young players we evaluated in the portal this year.”
USC will be Baker-Mazara’s fifth stop in his collegiate career. He began his career at Duquesne but transferred to San Diego State after one season. After being named the Mountain West Sixth Man of the Year in 2022, he was removed from the team for academic reasons. He then spent one season at Northwest Florida State before transferring to Auburn in 2023. During his two seasons on the Plains, he gave the Auburn family plenty to cheer for. In 2023-24, he averaged 10.0 points per game en route to an SEC Tournament Championship. Then, last season, he helped the Tigers win their sixth SEC Regular Season Championship as well as make an appearance in the Final Four.
The sixth-year senior was expected to be Auburn’s most experienced returning player, as Taahad Pettiford is still testing the NBA Draft. Instead, Baker-Mazara will head to Hollywood, joining Head Coach Eric Musselman and company.
Even if Pettiford decides to return, the orange and blue will have a whole new look next season. Baker-Mazara is now the 10th scholarship player from the Final Four roster that will not be returning. Bruce Pearl has been hard at work this offseason adding Keyshawn Hall, Keshawn Murphy, Kevin Overton, and Freeman. And they aren’t done yet, as Pearl told Auburn Undercover they plan to add another big man.
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Rory is a freshman majoring in journalism sports production. He started with The Plainsman in the spring of 2025.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @RorymGarvin
