USC Star Player Chad Baker-Mazara Abruptly Departs Trojans Basketball Program

Chad Baker-Mazara, a key scorer for the USC Trojans men's basketball team, has abruptly exited the program, the university announced Sunday.

Baker-Mazara was the team's second-leading scorer and had started 22 of USC's 26 games this season. He departed Saturday's game against No. 12 Nebraska after playing only three minutes in the second half due to an unspecified injury.

USC has not provided a reason for Baker-Mazara's departure. "We have nothing additional to add at this time," a team spokesperson stated.

Coach Eric Musselman commented on the player's status, saying Baker-Mazara "said he couldn’t go." The graduate student, originally from the Dominican Republic, was the MVP of the Maui Invitational earlier this season. Baker-Mazara's collegiate career included stops at five different schools, earning accolades such as Sixth Man of the Year in the Mountain West Conference and All-SEC honors. He was averaging 18.5 points and 4.2 rebounds for USC.