The SEC emerged as the top conference in college basketball last season, highlighted by the Florida Gators winning the national championship. Other programs, including the Auburn Tigers, also made deep tournament runs—Auburn reached the Final Four.
Led by head coach Bruce Pearl, the Tigers set a school record with 32 wins, driven by a seasoned roster featuring Naismith Player of the Year runner-up Johni Broome, Miles Kelly, and Chad Baker-Mazara.
However, in a surprising move after the season, Baker-Mazara entered the transfer portal and committed to USC on Monday, signaling a move to the Big Ten for the final chapter of his college career.
“Dreams turned into reality!! Let’s go to work!! #committed,” Baker-Mazara posted.
Rated as a four-star transfer by 247Sports, Baker-Mazara went unranked out of high school but became a key contributor to Auburn’s SEC success. Originally from the Dominican Republic, he’s ranked as the No. 5 small forward and No. 24 overall player in the transfer portal.
Baker-Mazara was projected to have a major impact next season for Auburn, especially following Broome’s departure. Last year, he averaged 12.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. Before joining Auburn two seasons ago, he played at Duquesne and San Diego State.
