USC's Top Scorer Chad Baker-Mazara Leaves Men's Basketball Program

The Trojans will finish the season without their leading scorer after his dismissal from the team.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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USC men's basketball forward Chad Baker-Mazara is no longer part of the program, the school announced on Sunday. Baker-Mazara, who was the Trojans' leading scorer this season, played his last game with USC on Saturday when the team lost to No. 12 Nebraska. His dismissal from the program was reportedly due to multiple issues rather than a single incident.

Why it matters

Losing Baker-Mazara at this point in the season is a significant disadvantage for the Trojans, who are still battling for their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2023. USC has lost five games in a row and has just two more regular season games to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

The details

Baker-Mazara, a 26-year-old graduate student 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 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 have to finish the season without both Rice and Baker-Mazara on the court.

  • Baker-Mazara played his last game with USC on Saturday, March 2, 2026.
  • USC announced Baker-Mazara's dismissal from the program on Sunday, March 3, 2026.

The players

Chad Baker-Mazara

A 26-year-old graduate student who was the leading scorer for the USC men's basketball team this season before being dismissed from the program.

Eric Musselman

The head coach of the USC men's basketball team.

Rodney Rice

A USC men's basketball player who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in late November.

Pryce Sandfort

A forward for the Nebraska men's basketball team, who Baker-Mazara was trying to block when he took a hard fall in the game against USC.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

The Trojans will face Washington on the road on Wednesday, March 6, 2026, and then finish the regular season against UCLA on Saturday, March 9, 2026, at the Galen Center.

The takeaway

The loss of Baker-Mazara, USC's leading scorer, is a significant blow to the Trojans' chances of securing an NCAA Tournament bid this season. The team will have to find a way to overcome this setback and win their remaining regular season games to keep their postseason hopes alive.