Southern California Trojans guard Chad Baker-Mazara (4) shoots the ball against Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Harun Zrno (13) in the second half at Galen Center on Jan 31, 2026.
USC men’s basketball forward Chad Baker-Mazara is reportedly no longer part of the program, the school announced on Sunday. He was the Trojans’ leading scorer this season.
Jan 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Chad Baker-Mazara (4) shoots the ball against Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Harun Zrno (13) in the second half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Baker-Mazara played his last game with USC on Saturday when the Trojans lost to No. 12 Nebraska at the Galen Center. The 26-year-old graduate student exited the game early after taking a hard fall while blocking a shot from Nebraska forward Pryce Sandfort early in the second half.
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After the game, USC coach Eric Musselman told reporters that Baker-Mazara said he was unable to go back into the game after the fall. Baker-Mazara was spotted sitting in an area near fans and away from the team’s bench for the remainder of the game.
According to a report from Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times, Baker-Mazara’s dismissal from the program was a result of multiple issues rather than one incident.
USC Is Still Battling For An NCAA Tournament Bid
Losing Baker-Mazara at this point in the season is a big disadvantage for the Trojans, who are still battling for their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2023.
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The Trojans have lost five games in a row and have just two more regular season games to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament. USC will face Washington on the road on Wednesday then finish the regular season against UCLA on Saturday at the Galen Center.
Baker-Mazara, who transferred to USC from Auburn this season, averaged a team-leading 18.5 points per game and shot a team-best 38 percent from beyond the arc. He also helped lead Auburn through a Final Four run last season before joining USC.
After USC star Rodney Rice went down with a season-ending shoulder injury in late November, Baker-Mazara stepped up for the Trojans’ offense. Now, USC will conquer the rest of the season without Rice and Baker-Mazara on the court.
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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