In a sport that features a ton of notable players, one of the most talked-about has to be Chad Baker-Mazara, who started his college basketball career at Duquesne, before transferring multiple times to the JUCO ranks, San Diego State, and most recently, Auburn.
In the past two years with the Tigers, the 6’7 combo forward was a double-digit scorer, coming off a career-high 12.3 ppg and 2.7 apg. He shot 45% from the field and 38% from three-point range. Baker-Mazara had a strong run in the NCAA Tournament, scoring 17 points in the Round of 32 win over Creighton, along with 18 points in the Final 4 defeat to Florida.
When he entered the transfer portal, Baker-Mazara certainly had interest. But it was a quiet recruitment that didn’t include visits or a list. But behind the scenes, the senior forward made a decision that became official on Monday.
Dreams turned into reality!! Let’s go to work!! #Committed @USC_Hoops pic.twitter.com/ymMVbtn6BI
— Chad Baker-Mazara (@ChadBaker2700) April 28, 2025
After finishing under .500 in its first year in the Big Ten, USC has undergone another complete roster change. In the past week, they notable landed Maryland transfer guard Rodney Rice while losing leading scorer, Desmond Claude. The team had landed six transfer forwards already this offseason, including Ezra Ausar (Utah), Jacob Cofie (Virginia), and Keonte Jones (Cal State Northridge).
On paper, Baker-Mazara will be the featured frontcourt player on the roster, likely to start and get most of his minutes at the three-spot. His defense and floor spacing will be massive for the Trojans to balance out the lineup.
Baker-Mazara isn’t a true guard, so USC must add at least one more perimeter player to round out the roster. A few reported options include High Point transfer Kezza Giffa and former Utah State guard, Deyton Albury. We’ll see if the Trojans can land one in the coming days.