Auburn Loses Key Contributor to Transfer Portal

In what could be one of the stranger decisions made within the transfer portal, Auburn wing Chad Baker-Mazara is reportedly leaving Bruce Pearl’s team in favor of seeking another school to play for.

Baker-Mazara was an integral member of Pearl’s Final Four team this past year. A springy wing that thrived in transition, CBM averaged 12.3 PPG on 44.8 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from three. He also averaged 1.2 steals per game.

This isn’t exactly foreign to Baker-Mazara when it comes to switching schools. The soon-to-be 26-year-old will be entering his sixth college season. Before his two years at Auburn, he played for Duquesne and San Diego State.

With the portal raging out of control, Baker-Mazara figures to cash in quite well. There’s always a demand for proven wings, and in this case, he’s one of the most mature/experienced players in college basketball. It would be shocking if a big program with the hopes of contending for a National Title does not splash some serious cash for his services.

Additionally, this continues a very rough offseason for Auburn as it pertains to player retention. With Baker-Mazara, Johni Broome, and Dylan Cardwell all gone from the program, the frontcourt will undergo a massive overhauling. Guard Denver Jones is also moving on to the professional ranks.

Fortunately, lead guard Tahaad Pettiford has maintained his NCAA eligibility as he explores the NBA Draft process. Assuming he comes back, he’ll be one of the SEC’s best guards.

Pearl has done some major work in the portal as well — nabbing dynamic JUCO scorer Abdul Bashir, JUCO big man Emeka Opurum, Mississippi State transfer KeShawn Murphy, UCF wing Keyshawn Hall, and three 4-star recruits from the high school ranks (led by Houston native Sebastian Williams-Adams).