SAN ANTONIO — As Auburn prepares for its Final Four matchup against Florida, head coach Bruce Pearl is not focused on the scouting report or game plan. He’s focused on trust.
“Trust is important,” Pearl said Friday. “If you’re able to earn the trust of these younger people, particularly in athletics, they will run through a wall for you.”
That trust has been the foundation of Auburn’s season, which includes an SEC regular season championship and the program’s second Final Four in school history. The Tigers are playing some of their best basketball of the year, and it’s the culture off the court — rooted in belief, sacrifice and accountability — that Pearl credits for the run.
Central to Auburn’s historic season has been Chad Baker-Mazara, the 6-foot-7 senior from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Baker-Mazara is averaging 12.2 points per game, 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists. He shoots 44.3% from the field and 37.2% from beyond-the-arc. In the NCAA Tournament, Baker-Mazara is averaging 8.5 points per game, including a 17-point performance against Creighton in the second round.
Baker-Mazara’s contributions extend beyond measurable statistics. He serves as an emotional catalyst, energizing the team and providing momentum during periods of stagnation. His on-court emotions have frequently attracted national attention, with Pearl consistently standing by his on-the-court demeanor.
“We do let Chad Baker-Mazara be himself,” Pearl said. “As a result, it has the opportunity to bring out the best in him sometimes as a player.”
Baker-Mazara’s versatility — his ability to defend multiple positions, knock down shots and bring edge to the floor — has been crucial to Auburn’s depth, a hallmark of this year’s team. The Tigers have five players averaging double-digit figures and eight double-digit minutes. They often rotate 10 deep without losing intensity on either end of the court.
Despite having National Player of the Year candidate Johni Broome to lean on, Pearl takes value in the team’s depth and has emphasized that every player has had to buy into something bigger than themselves.
“If you’re going to be part of a team, you’ve got to be accountable to the other guys on the team, you got to share the basketball,” Pearl said. “Some nights it’s going to be your night, some nights not. When it’s not, you have to trust the process and your teammates.”
It’s that sacrifice that’s led Auburn to the Final Four. The Tigers possess a top three offensive rating on KenPom and a top 10 defensive rating. Auburn’s balanced attack is led by Broome (18.7 ppg, 10.9 rbg, 2.1 bpg), Pettiford (2.9 apg), and Baker-Mazara (1.1 spg).
"He's been through a lot in his coaching career and at the beginning of the year, he told us how special we could really be with this team,” Baker-Mazara said of Pearl. “A lot of people didn't believe that. He stayed in our ears, telling us, 'you guys really got this; you just have to focus and lock in. We will be able to determine our own future. Having a coach who just brings that confidence in you and tells us I know you guys got this.' We just want to make sure we get him one, because I feel like we owe it to him for putting this team together, the way he did.”
Now, 40 minutes separate Auburn from a shot at the national title. Against a high-scoring Florida team led by Walter Clayton Jr., the Tigers will need every bit of that trust—and the willingness to sacrifice—for one more win.
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Grace Heim is a senior from Enterprise, Alabama, majoring in Political Science. She started with The Plainsman in January of 2023.
You can follow her on X (Twitter) at @graceeheim
