March Madness may be done, but the thrillers haven’t stopped yet. Days away from its closing, the transfer portal is proving wild. From RJ Luis Jr. to Kennard Davis, nearly 2,000 hoopers have thrown their names into the mix this year. But one name caught everyone off guard. Auburn’s very own Chad Baker-Mazara is hitting the portal. Yep, in what would be his sixth year of college hoops, Baker-Mazara is on the move again. It has left everyone wondering.
This past season, Chad Baker-Mazara was a key piece for the Tigers. He finished as Auburn’s second-leading scorer, putting up 12.3 points per game while knocking down 38% of his threes. He played in 38 games, starting 34 of them. Auburn, stacked with veteran talent, made an impressive run–finishing 32-6 and punching their ticket to the Final Four once again under Bruce Pearl. Most expected CBM to either test the NBA draft or maybe head overseas. But if he stayed, another year at Auburn seemed certain . Turns out, that wasn’t the plan.
The 25-year-old took to social media to announce his decision. “I wanna thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to do what I love,” he wrote. “But I wanna thank my teammates, coaching staff and the Auburn Family for the incredible support for this past two years! With this been said I would be entering the transfer portal. Gracias Auburn!”
That was the 5th starter of the 2024-25 season that Bruce Pearl lost this off season. Johni Broome, Denver Jones, Dylan Cardwell, and Miles Kelly, will all be using their eligibility while Baker-Mazara takes his talents elsewhere in college.
“This one is very, very important,” Pearl had said back in 2023 when he had picked up the guard to complete his roster. He delivered, averaging 10 points in his first season and 12.3 in his next. His absence now only enlarges the void already left by the starters. It was a great momentum the head coach had built there and with this, the Tiger Nation watched it slowly crumble down.
So, fans were caught off guard by CBM’s decision to enter the portal. Naturally, they took to social media to react. But surprisingly, it wasn’t just about him leaving Auburn.
Fans react to Chad Baker-Mazara entering the transfer portal
Fans were surprised not because CBM was entering the portal but because he was still playing college basketball. Various tweets poured in asking the same question again and again. “How does he still have eligibility? This needs to stop as it’s so out of hand,” a fan commented, but he wasn’t alone. Others joined in as well. “How is he still playing? 20-21 season was his first,” said another.
How does he still have eligibility? This needs to stop as it’s so out of hand.
— Mason Kidd (@kidd_mason4) April 17, 2025
Now for those wondering how Baker-Mazara still gets to play college basketball? Well because there are provisions for it. Thanks to the NCAA’s temporary waiver, players who spent time at a junior college or NAIA school get an extra year of eligibility. The 6-foot-7 wing fits that bill. So yes, he’s got one more ride left. Crazy? Maybe. But legal? Absolutely. This was further explained by a fan who said, “So his eligibility goes Freshmen, COVID year, Sophomore, Juco, Junior,Senior, 5th year.”
He played the 2022-23 season at Northwest Florida State College, a junior college, before making the jump to Auburn. Before that, he was at San Diego State. That one season at JUCO? It’s what unlocked the NCAA’s temporary waiver and gave him the extra year of eligibility.
But fans weren’t ready to let it slide that easily. “One even took it a step further, joking, “I’m 2 years older and did 5 years in the navy and am 5 years into my career already. He needs LinkedIn BAD.” Another joined in with a hilarious take: “I thought you were going to say it will be interesting because he’s 57 years old.”
CBM’s journey hasn’t exactly followed the traditional college basketball route. He entered college after completing a postgraduate season at Spire Academy in 2020. Sure, he’s 25 now–but that’s become more and more common in today’s NCAA landscape. Ever since NIL deals and the transfer portal changed the game, older players sticking around isn’t all that surprising! A fan points out the same saying, “He’s also 25. Meaning he didn’t go to college until he was 20.” And believe it or not, CBM isn’t even the oldest out there. That crown goes to BYU’s 26-year-old guard, Trevin Knell.
College hoops has definitely aged up over the years. Back in 2019, before COVID, the average age of Sweet 16 starters was 20.8. Fast forward to 2021 and it jumped to 21.2. Now? It’s 21.6. Just last season, Auburn’s starting five had an average age of 23.2. For context, in the NBA, the March 26 game between the Jazz and Grizzlies had starters averaging exactly 23 years old. So really, calling out CBM for his age doesn’t hold much weight anymore.
Chad Baker-Mazara was a fan favorite on The Plains, no doubt about that. Auburn fans loved his fire, his hustle, and his energy on the court. But outside of Auburn? He was labeled a villain by almost the entire college basketball world. His fiery personality often clashed with officials. Technical fouls weren’t rare! They followed him like a shadow. And CBM didn’t shy away from calling out critics either, which only added fuel to the hate he received.
But now, with his decision to hit the transfer portal, even Auburn fans might turn their backs. The same crowd that once cheered him on could now join the list of those who can’t stand him.
The post Everyone’s Thinking the Same Thing About Chad Baker-Mazara as NCAA Community Puzzled Over Ex-Auburn Star’s Transfer Portal Announcement appeared first on EssentiallySports.