When Chad Baker-Mazara suited up for USC against Nebraska on Saturday, no one knew it would be the last game he ever played for the Trojans. Likely the last game he ever plays in college. Luckily for the Huskers, they managed to send him off on a losing note.
The senior guard was playing with his fourth team in five seasons after coming over to Los Angeles from Auburn. He was having a very nice season, statistics-wise, averaging 18.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. On Saturday, he played 19 minutes and scored 14 points before suffering an injury to his knee and exiting the game.
Baker-Mazara's exit against Nebraska was an exclamation point on a USC fold job after they had a halftime lead over the Huskers. However, it's now clear the guard didn't take the injury well at all.
Chad Baker-Mazara's sudden USC exit adds bizarre footnote to Nebraska basketball's latest win
"Chad Baker-Mazara is no longer a member of the USC Men's Basketball program," the team announced Sunday. "Baker-Mazara, a graduate student, appeared in 26 contests for the Trojans in 2025-26. USC has two regular-season games remaining, traveling to Washington on March 4 and hosting UCLA on March 7 before the start of the Big Ten Tournament next week."
While the school didn't offer any explanation for why the star player's time with the Trojans is over, it's clear something happened during halftime that led to his departure.
Baker-Mazara sat in the second row behind USC's bench with fans after he left the game and did not return. The announcers on BTN had no explanation for why a player would not be sitting with his team on the bench, and instead with fans.
For Nebraska, his leaving USC could be more than simply part of a trivia question as to who was his last opponent. With every team getting into the Big Ten Tournament this year, there is a chance the Huskers and Trojans could meet one more time this season.