The USC Trojans‘ slim possibilities of making the NCAA Match simply grew to become even thinner.
Within the second half of the Trojans’ 82-67 house loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday, guard Chad Baker-Mazara appeared to exit with an damage. Now, he is not with the workforce. On Sunday, USC confirmed he has left this system.
Why did Chad Baker-Mazara go away USC?
The rationale for his departure stays unclear. USC did not supply any rationalization when it made the announcement.
“We’ve got nothing further so as to add right now,” USC spokesperson Kristen Keller texted Beth Harris of the Related Press.
In Saturday’s sport, Baker-Mazara appeared to inform Trojans head coach Eric Musselman that he could not re-enter after a tough fall following a block on Cornhuskers ahead Pryce Sandfort (via ESPN’s Jeff Brozello). He then sat close to injured junior guard Rodney Rice in an space with followers as a substitute of the bench earlier than leaving the sector.
“He mentioned he could not go,” Musselman mentioned of Baker-Mazara (by way of Borzello). The coach added he had not spoken with the workforce’s coach about his standing.
When requested why Baker-Mazara sat with followers as a substitute of with the workforce, the coach mentioned there weren’t sufficient chairs on the bench. No matter contributed to the guard’s departure, it is coming at a nasty time for USC.
How Chad Baker-Mazara’s exit hurts USC’s NCAA Match probabilities
The Trojans (18-11, 7-11 Huge Ten) wanted a late-season push to re-enter the NCAA Match dialog. USC has misplaced 5 straight video games and is now thought of an extended shot to make the match except it wins the Huge Ten Match, which might assist it safe an automated bid. In a narrative printed Sunday, ESPN’s Neil Paine reported the Trojans have a 14% likelihood of clinching an at-large bid within the “Huge Dance.”
Baker-Mazara, 26, was poised to play an enormous half throughout USC’s ultimate two regular-season video games and the Huge Ten Match. He had assumed the No. 1 position on offense since Rice (who averaged 20.3 factors per sport in six contests this season) suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in December. After 26 video games, the guard was logging a team-leading 18.5 PPG.
Now that he is instantly vanished, it appears USC’s hopes of creating March Insanity have additionally evaporated.
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