Chad Baker-Mazara controversy, explained: Why did USC abruptly dismis… — and more

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.

OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators‘ playoff chances are improving, but getting to the post-season is still going to be a mammoth undertaking. So, does Ottawa stand steadily pat or does it get aggressive? That conundrum is general manager Steve Staios’ riddle to solve.

The Senators sit five points out of a playoff spot. Teams that know they have a shot at making a run in the playoffs usually add strength at the deadline, while those who have fallen out of the race sell assets to build for the future. If you’re in the mushy middle, where a team might or might not make it, it makes for a perplexing deadline. 

If the Senators were to be bold, they would likely not add rentals but wouldn’t trade their rentals, either. In another world, maybe the Senators could try selling off pending unrestricted free agents such as Claude Giroux or David Perron, who would have value for other teams. But the Senators have been bull-headed in pursuing their playoff aspirations and probably won’t want to hurt their playoff odds at the deadline. 

An additional complication for the Senators is that they are staring down another wasted season of Brady Tkachuk’s prime, which would be a stain on their chances to keep No. 7 in the nation’s capital past 2028, when his contract expires.

According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Senators “think they are better than their record indicates.” 

The team stills believe a playoff berth is doable, and Moneypuck.com agrees: their mathematical formula states that Ottawa’s playoff odds sit at 45 per cent. But with the Senators sitting five points out, call us slightly skeptical. 

The Senators’ hands are also tied for dealing assets, as they have no first-round pick after being punished for botching the 2021 Evgeni Dadonov trade, and few prospects of note outside of Carter Yakemchuk and Logan Hensler. Staios will have limited flexibility, though that was also true last deadline, when he struck a blockbuster Dylan Cozens-for-Josh Norris trade. Don’t be so surprised if a big trade happens but don’t be shocked if it’s a steady, quiet deadline in Ottawa.

Projected deadline-day cap space: $11.6 million
Contracts: 45/50
Retention slots open: 2/3
Draft picks (via PuckPedia):

Needs

The Senators have four glaring needs, but foremost they need a better version of Linus Ullmark or they need goaltending from elsewhere. If you squint, there are reasons to believe.

The Senators’ contention plan needs to be saved by Ullmark. As Friedman said, they are committed to Ullmark.

Despite everything, goaltending likely won’t be addressed at the deadline. 

Meanwhile, it’s evident that the Senators have a hole in their defensive top four. The hope is that one day Yakemchuk and Hensler will be the solutions. The Senators aren’t about to give the keys to Yakemchuk this season; maybe next. But with Tkachuk’s contract up in two seasons, the team might not want to wait. Regardless, with Artem Zub a free agent after next season, if Ottawa wants to be a playoff contender to finish off the season into next, it will keep searching for a top-four right-shot defenceman. 

The Senators also need another scoring forward. The Senators are 11th in goals per game, despite the third-best shots-for-vs.-against ratio in the league. Every night, the team outshoots its opponents but can’t capitalize at a high enough rate because there is no elite sniper to finish off the chances they earn.

No current Senator has scored 40 goals, though Tim Stutzle has the capability to be a 40-goal guy and he’s on pace for that this season. Ultimately, if Staios wants Ottawa to reach another peak, he will need to find another bona fide goal scorer. 

Assets to trade

Carter Yakemchuk: Yakemchuk is the Senators’ best asset not on their roster, although he likely will be by next season. The team views him as an Evan Bouchard-type player. Yakemchuk was leading the AHL in rookie scoring before an injury in December set him back. At six-foot-three and 219 pounds, Yakemchuk is a big-body right-shot defenceman with offensive skill, a rare combination in today’s NHL. The Senators are very reluctant to trade Yakemchuk, as they should be.

But if they were to go big-game hunting to acquire a star defenceman or forward, it likely would require sending out the 2024 seventh-overall pick.

Ridly Greig: The Senators are flush with NHL centres: Stutzle, Shane Pinto, Cozens and Greig. The Senators are unlikely to trade Cozens or Pinto, unless it’s in a deal for a superstar. Meaning, Greig is the most expendable centre, despite his very useful always-annoying-in-a-good-way style. Greig could help Ottawa land an upgrade in an area of need, maybe for a top-four defenceman. Greig is an impactful two-way player with trade value, but his offensive upside seems limited compared to Cozens and Pinto. 

Fabian Zetterlund: Zetterlund was supposed to be impactful; instead, he’s become a fourth-liner making over $4 million a season, while scoring 14 goals and 14 assists in 78 games as a Senator. It’s been a failed experiment. It might be smart for Ottawa to trade him at a low point to recoup a middling asset while gaining much-needed cap space. 

Stephen Halliday: Speaking of centres, Halliday has proven himself to be a very productive NHL player, despite limited minutes. At only 23, Halliday is eighth in the NHL with 2.88 points per 60 minutes at five-on-five in a minimum 100 minutes played. Because of Ottawa’s lack of other assets, Halliday could be a viable piece in a trade.

Logan Hensler: Hensler was chosen 23rd overall in 2025 by the Senators, and with Yakemchuk provides first-round talent in a system that doesn’t have another first-rounder in 2026. If Ottawa wants to make a win-now move, Hensler is an option to be expended. 

Potential targets

MacKenzie Weegar: Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reported that Ottawa native Weegar would potentially waive his no-trade clause to come to the Canadian Tire Centre. Weegar is 32, in the midst of a down season with 21 points in 58 games on the lowly Calgary Flames. He is signed until 2030 at a cap hit of $6.25 million a season. He has offensive touch, physicality and leadership. Acquiring him at a lower-value point could reduce the cost, and last season we witnessed Seth Jones go from lost in a bad environment in Chicago to thriving in Florida on a great team. Ottawa might not have to give up a lot to get a player who was in contention for Team Canada only a year ago as a hugely impactful player. The only downside is that Weegar is paid handsomely into his mid- to late-30s. Bringing in a good player who loves Ottawa worked out for Giroux and could for Weegar as well.

Robert Thomas: For the Senators to take the next step, they need high-level skill. Thomas is that, with three seasons over a point per game under his belt. He’s also very good friends with Tkachuk, which wouldn’t hurt the re-signing pitch to Ottawa’s captain. Thomas is signed until 2031 at $8.125 million a season. With Ottawa not being very active in free agency, acquiring a player with term would be smart. It will cost you a lot, but sometimes it’s better to overpay for star talent than sit idle. 

Jesper Wallstedt: Ullmark may be turning it around slightly. Nevertheless, the eye test still gives grounds for worry. That’s why the Senators will need to address the goaltending position eventually. Ottawa needs a 1A/1B solution in goal to help Ullmark. Wallstedt is a young, upcoming goaltender with a first-round pedigree. Wallstedt has been solid with 0.8 goals saved above expected, and is only 23. Ottawa has given up on too many young netminders in the past; maybe it’s time to take a flyer on one instead of booting them out the door like they did with Ben Bishop, Joey Daccord and Filip Gustavsson. 

Zach Whitecloud: Calgary is selling, and if Ottawa can’t get Weegar as a top-four right-shot defenceman, Whitecloud would be a good consolation prize. Whitecloud has two more years at a team-friendly $2.75-million cap hit. It would be a significant price for Ottawa but likely wouldn’t cost Ottawa an arm or a Yakemchuk. Whitecloud doesn’t have much offensive pop but is big, rangy and can defend.

Notable mentions: Rasmus Ristolainen, Justin Faulk

Other considerations

Ottawa is a small-market team, so be mindful of the real dollars if it takes on money in any deals. It’s likely the Senators will not spend to the cap in years to come as the salary cap rises. 

Arsenal achieved the earliest ‘St. Totteringham’s Day’ in history on Sunday, but the Gunners still have one more record to try and break in the final nine games.

Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

As covered early last week, Arsenal had the opportunity to confirm their earliest-ever finish over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, excluding seasons where the two clubs didn’t play in the same division.

The Gunners needed either a win over Chelsea, or for Spurs to fail to beat Fulham. In the end, Arsenal didn’t need to wait until their 16:30 kick-off, with Spurs themselves losing to confirm their failure to finish above the Gunners.

That result made March 1st the new record earliest date of ‘St. Totteringham’s Day’, the day invented by Arsenal fans for when they confirm a finish above their north London rivals.

But it also meant the Gunners achieved the feat with 10 games to play, a joint record shared with the 2003/04 ‘Invincibles’ side. Sky Sports rounded up the previous earliest dates in the graphic below:

Arsenal still have one more north London rivalry record in their sights, with the Gunners having the chance to achieve their greatest-ever points difference over Spurs at the conclusion of the season.

The current record stands at 45 points, again achieved by the 2003/04 team playing under Arsene Wenger.

Mikel Arteta’s side sit 35 points clear of Spurs, having played a game more. So it’s still possible for Arsenal to finish 46+ points ahead of Igor Tudor’s side, but both teams will need to keep picking up the same kinds of results they have been for the remainder of the campaign.

Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Arsenal’s primary focus is obviously on winning trophies, and they’ll value a Premier League title far more than a record-breaking finish above Spurs.

But given the way to achieve those two ends is just to keep winning matches, there’s no harm in hoping for both.

Uefa has fined Tottenham Hotspur and given them a suspended ban from selling away tickets after three supporters made Nazi salutes towards Eintracht Frankfurt fans.

The incident occurred during their Champions League fixture - which Spurs won 2-0 - at the German club's Deutsche Bank Park on 28 January.

Uefa said it issued the ban for "the racist and/or discriminatory behaviour of its supporters" and it was "suspended for a probationary period of one year".

Tottenham were fined £26,000 (30,000 euros) by European football's governing body in addition to £1,966 (2,250 euros) for objects thrown by their supporters.

Spurs said the "conduct of a small number of fans" was "utterly abhorrent" and have issued them with banning orders.

"We can confirm that all three individuals found to be making Nazi salutes towards Eintracht Frankfurt fans have been identified and have received indefinite bans under the club's sanctions and banning policy," said Spurs.

"The club stands firmly against all forms of discrimination and has therefore taken the strongest possible action. The disgusting behaviour of a minority of so-called fans on the night is in no way reflective of the values of our club and its supporters."

Last week, Real Madrid launched an investigation after a supporter allegedly performed a Nazi salute before the club's Champions League win against Benfica.

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