2023 4* Juco Wing Chad Baker-Mazara Commits to AU!

[GTNupe11 2,033]

21 minutes ago, AUBwins said:

Yep. I am convinced I pulled him in LOL --- 'missing piece'

Thank you for your contribution! Lol. He's got a smooth game. And how many lefties are we going to have on this team?! 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,641]

1 hour ago, lutzcammed said:

I'm excited to have him, but just wondering, why did he leave SDSU for juco?

Per the Twitter account I linked a few posts ago, something small academically 

[AuburnNTexas 7,128]

I like his size and shooting percentage. Not quite sure why 2 schools before us which is a little scary but I trust the staff did their homework.  I am higher on Moore then many on this board as he actually looked good as a starter at beginning of last year and has a decent stroke. I believe this gives us two very solid 3's who can push each other and who can both help us. Assuming Broome returns we are a much better team then last year.

War Eagle and welcome to Auburn.

[W.E.D 11,070]

1 hour ago, lutzcammed said:

I'm excited to have him, but just wondering, why did he leave SDSU for juco?

He failed out of SDSU and was dismissed from the team

[aubiefifty 16,718]

 

[AUBwins 10,064]

1 hour ago, GTNupe11 said:

Thank you for your contribution! Lol. He's got a smooth game. And how many lefties are we going to have on this team?! 

It's all the plan to have defense guarding right, only for us to go left

[Gowebb11 9,309]

5 hours ago, lutzcammed said:

I'm excited to have him, but just wondering, why did he leave SDSU for juco?

He’s been a journeyman his whole career. After HS he apparently attended some type of sports academy in Ohio. Then Duquesne, SD St, JUCO, now AU. Doing his best JT Daniels impression apparently. 😅

[Cardin Drake 1,809]

Kid has some amazing stats.  I'm completely sold on his offense. He has done it everywhere he has been.   If he can play defense and make his grades, this is a home run by Bruce.

[Grumps 3,693]

17 hours ago, AUBwins said:

My comment in this Twitter thread must have swayed him 😆 

Said that's because Calipari knows what will happen if you come to Auburn.  You are the missing piece Bruce needs!

 

Hehe

I believe it was you! Thank you, Sir!!!

[TAYLORKEETON 786]

Take away all the schools he’s played at & strictly look at stats & %’s. 
 

think this kid could be very good for us. 

[ellitor 33,062]

On 5/19/2023 at 7:23 AM, KansasTiger said:

What did he go unguarded? 

@KansasTiger Not sure if true but FWIW JGT said he shot better guarded than unguarded. If true that at least shows he has some moxie in him.

[KansasTiger 3,242]

26 minutes ago, ellitor said:

@KansasTiger Not sure if true but FWIW JGT said he shot better guarded than unguarded. If true that at least shows he has some moxy in him.

He's definitely going to be interesting to watch this fall

[AURex 1,984]

If he can attend class and make his grades (which is a huge questionmark given his track record) I'm interested to see how he can do against SEC competition.

 

[mustache eagle 2,389]

My guess is this kid will have mandatory academic/advisor meetings, mandatory class attendance, daily required tutoring and mandatory daily study hall.  I doubt this guy will be allowed to fail even if he wanted to completely flake out.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,641]

1 hour ago, mustache eagle said:

My guess is this kid will have mandatory academic/advisor meetings, mandatory class attendance, daily required tutoring and mandatory daily study hall.  I doubt this guy will be allowed to fail even if he wanted to completely flake out.

There’s some courses (and majors honestly) at that university a rock could do if you look hard enough. Any athlete who’s academically failed at Auburn just didn’t want to play ball enough. 
 

I think this guy will appreciate his second chance at success enough to take world lit 1 and bowling seriously 

[aubiefifty 16,718]

 

[Tiger 8,818]

On 5/19/2023 at 8:55 AM, AUBwins said:

 

Yep. I am convinced I pulled him in LOL --- 'missing piece'

Miami has NIL... We have AUBWINS!!! 

[aubiefifty 16,718]

yahoo.com

 

Why JUCO coach says Chad Baker-Mazara will be key piece for Auburn basketball next season

Richard Silva, Montgomery Advertiser

4–5 minutes

---

AUBURN — Northwest Florida State College basketball coach Steve DeMeo got lucky. So did Chad Baker-Mazara, but he just didn't know it yet.

DeMeo, who returned to the Raiders in April 2022 after spending a few seasons as an assistant at St. Johns and East Carolina, was the coach at NWF from 2013-19. He led the Raiders to a 170-27 record over that period and left on a streak of five straight Panhandle Conference championships. He's made a living off not only putting players into higher levels of college basketball, but also winning while doing it.

Just because NWF is a junior college doesn't mean DeMeo treats the program like it's worth any less.

LOOKING AHEAD: What Auburn basketball's latest additions tell us about 2023-24 version of the Tigers

POTENTIAL RENOVATIONS: What AD John Cohen is saying about Auburn football, basketball facility upgrades

"I think a lot of times high-majors sign a guy and they’re like, ‘Well, why didn’t you run more stuff for him?’ " DeMeo told Montgomery Advertiser this week. "We try to run this like a real team. We don’t just want to cater to one guy. Winning is important to us, as well. I think winning translates everywhere.”

That might've been what Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl was thinking when he offered the 6-foot-7, 190-pound Baker-Mazara a scholarship. Baker-Mazara is presumably Pearl's last big pickup of the offseason, joining transfers Denver Jones (Florida International) and Chaney Johnson (Alabama-Huntsville), along with five-star freshman Aden Holloway out of Prolific Prep in Napa, California.

Baker-Mazara's shooting splits are staggering. He made 48.8% of his shots during his lone season with the Raiders, which included connecting on 46.9% of his triples. DeMeo assured those numbers aren't inflated, either: "We’re all blessed with something in life," DeMeo said. "… He’s blessed as a guy who can make jump shots."

Knowing that, it might be shocking to see Baker-Mazara only averaged 15.2 points per game, which doesn't even crack the top 150 among JUCO players last season. With his efficiency, why wasn't he featured more in the offense, especially at the JUCO level?

“I try to have a balanced roster," DeMeo said. "I don’t like one guy to have 25 or 20 and everyone else scores six. We try to have four or five double-digit scorers. ... We try to balance the roster, we try to get guys to do a little bit of everything. We like versatility and Chad was versatile.

 

Colorado State guard Isaiah Rivera (23) controls the ball as San Diego State guard Chad Baker-Mazara (20) guards in the first half at Moby Arena on Friday, Feb. 4, 2022.

 

"He defended well, he rebounded well. Not only did he make shots, but he made his free throws. He did a little of everything. He probably could’ve been more of a focal point, but we are a super-talented roster."

DeMeo not only saw Baker-Mazara get lifted into Division I this offseason, but he also helped Kasean Pryor get to South Florida and Marcus Niblack get to Jacksonville. Taryn Todd, who averaged nearly 10 points per game last season, is looking to move up, too.

Even still, DeMeo admitted he "probably should’ve got him (Baker-Mazara) the ball more."

Baker-Mazara was brought in by DeMeo following one season at San Diego State in 2021-22. The wing was forced to leave the Aztecs after he "failed to live up to his academic responsibilities," according to a statement from SDSU coach Brian Dutcher given to the San Diego Union-Tribune in June 2022.

But now back on track, DeMeo has little doubt the star that helped lead his team to the NJCAA title game last season will find success in his return to high-major basketball.

“Coach Pearl and the staff do an unbelievable job of putting guys in positions to be successful," DeMeo said. "I think he’s going to have a chance to be a key player for them, for sure. I always like to look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios, and I think the sky's the limit for Chad because when you can score like he does, there’s not a question in my mind he’s going to be a key piece of that program.”

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Chad Baker-Mazara: What Auburn basketball is getting in JUCO transfer

[AUtigers2324 42]

4 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

yahoo.com

 

Why JUCO coach says Chad Baker-Mazara will be key piece for Auburn basketball next season

Richard Silva, Montgomery Advertiser

4–5 minutes

---

AUBURN — Northwest Florida State College basketball coach Steve DeMeo got lucky. So did Chad Baker-Mazara, but he just didn't know it yet.

DeMeo, who returned to the Raiders in April 2022 after spending a few seasons as an assistant at St. Johns and East Carolina, was the coach at NWF from 2013-19. He led the Raiders to a 170-27 record over that period and left on a streak of five straight Panhandle Conference championships. He's made a living off not only putting players into higher levels of college basketball, but also winning while doing it.

Just because NWF is a junior college doesn't mean DeMeo treats the program like it's worth any less.

LOOKING AHEAD: What Auburn basketball's latest additions tell us about 2023-24 version of the Tigers

POTENTIAL RENOVATIONS: What AD John Cohen is saying about Auburn football, basketball facility upgrades

"I think a lot of times high-majors sign a guy and they’re like, ‘Well, why didn’t you run more stuff for him?’ " DeMeo told Montgomery Advertiser this week. "We try to run this like a real team. We don’t just want to cater to one guy. Winning is important to us, as well. I think winning translates everywhere.”

That might've been what Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl was thinking when he offered the 6-foot-7, 190-pound Baker-Mazara a scholarship. Baker-Mazara is presumably Pearl's last big pickup of the offseason, joining transfers Denver Jones (Florida International) and Chaney Johnson (Alabama-Huntsville), along with five-star freshman Aden Holloway out of Prolific Prep in Napa, California.

Baker-Mazara's shooting splits are staggering. He made 48.8% of his shots during his lone season with the Raiders, which included connecting on 46.9% of his triples. DeMeo assured those numbers aren't inflated, either: "We’re all blessed with something in life," DeMeo said. "… He’s blessed as a guy who can make jump shots."

Knowing that, it might be shocking to see Baker-Mazara only averaged 15.2 points per game, which doesn't even crack the top 150 among JUCO players last season. With his efficiency, why wasn't he featured more in the offense, especially at the JUCO level?

“I try to have a balanced roster," DeMeo said. "I don’t like one guy to have 25 or 20 and everyone else scores six. We try to have four or five double-digit scorers. ... We try to balance the roster, we try to get guys to do a little bit of everything. We like versatility and Chad was versatile.

 

Colorado State guard Isaiah Rivera (23) controls the ball as San Diego State guard Chad Baker-Mazara (20) guards in the first half at Moby Arena on Friday, Feb. 4, 2022.

 

"He defended well, he rebounded well. Not only did he make shots, but he made his free throws. He did a little of everything. He probably could’ve been more of a focal point, but we are a super-talented roster."

DeMeo not only saw Baker-Mazara get lifted into Division I this offseason, but he also helped Kasean Pryor get to South Florida and Marcus Niblack get to Jacksonville. Taryn Todd, who averaged nearly 10 points per game last season, is looking to move up, too.

Even still, DeMeo admitted he "probably should’ve got him (Baker-Mazara) the ball more."

Baker-Mazara was brought in by DeMeo following one season at San Diego State in 2021-22. The wing was forced to leave the Aztecs after he "failed to live up to his academic responsibilities," according to a statement from SDSU coach Brian Dutcher given to the San Diego Union-Tribune in June 2022.

But now back on track, DeMeo has little doubt the star that helped lead his team to the NJCAA title game last season will find success in his return to high-major basketball.

“Coach Pearl and the staff do an unbelievable job of putting guys in positions to be successful," DeMeo said. "I think he’s going to have a chance to be a key player for them, for sure. I always like to look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios, and I think the sky's the limit for Chad because when you can score like he does, there’s not a question in my mind he’s going to be a key piece of that program.”

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Chad Baker-Mazara: What Auburn basketball is getting in JUCO transfer

Thanks for posting. This addresses my main question of why wouldn’t Baker-Mazara be averaging 20+pts/gm at the JUCO level if he was that efficient. His coach wanted balance and no superstar ball. Coach even said he probably should have run more stuff for CBM.

[aubiefifty 16,718]

5 minutes ago, AUtigers2324 said:

Thanks for posting. This addresses my main question of why wouldn’t Baker-Mazara be averaging 20+pts/gm at the JUCO level if he was that efficient. His coach wanted balance and no superstar ball. Coach even said he probably should have run more stuff for CBM.

i got lucky bro...........

[toddc 13,194]

New Auburn wing Chad Baker-Mazara reports to campus

Auburn begins summer practice June 1

Nathan King86 mins

Bruce Pearl’s trio of transfer additions are now present and accounted for.

JUCO wing Chad Baker-Mazara reported to campus Thursday from his home in the Dominican Republic, as all three of Auburn’s transfer pickups have now arrived in preparation for the start of summer practice June 1.

Baker-Mazara, the team’s most recent pledge when he committed to Auburn over Texas A&M last week, joins FIU guard Denver Jones and UAH forward Chaney Johnson, who moved in on campus earlier this month.

NBA draft entrants Jaylin Williams and Dylan Cardwell haven’t made formal announcements about withdrawing from the draft process but are also set to rejoin the team and be ready for summer workouts. 

The final piece Auburn is waiting on — should Pearl and his staff choose not to add another transfer big man — is All-SEC center Johni Broome, who participated in the NBA Combine last week and has until May 31 to pull out of the draft if he wants to return to school. Of course, a decision by Broome to turn pro would then influence Auburn’s pursuit of a frontcourt transfer to offset his loss.

The Mountain West sixth man of the year at San Diego State, in 2021-22, Baker-Mazara was dismissed from the Aztecs program for academic reasons after the season and landed at Northwest Florida State College, where he shot a whopping 46.7 percent from beyond the arc on 4.5 attempts per game. Across his three college seasons at Duquesne, San Diego State and the JUCO level, Baker-Mazara is a combined 114-of-259 from 3-point range in his career (44 percent).

Auburn courted a handful of transfer wings — like Florida State’s Matthew Cleveland, who went to Miami, and Vanderbilt’s Tyrin Lawrence, who started trending away from Auburn a couple weeks ago — before landing on Baker-Mazara. At 6-foot-7 and 190 pounds, he fills a crucial spot in the Tigers’ rotation next season, as the team desperately needed another starting-caliber piece at the 3 position following Allen Flanigan’s decision to leave as a grad transfer.

“You don't want to settle,” Pearl said last week, three days before Baker-Mazara committed. “You don't want to just be done with it and take someone who can't get you where you want to be; the league's too good. … I don't see, truly, why we're losing anybody — if there's a wing out there that likes to score and play with a little bit of freedom.”

The biggest splash transfer for Auburn this cycle was Jones, who was the No. 2 scorer in Conference USA last season at 20.1 points per game, and shot 37.1 percent from beyond the arc. The north Alabama native helps to satisfy Auburn’s need for more scoring punch in the backcourt, where he’ll likely start alongside 5-star freshman point guard Aden Holloway, who is expected to report to campus soon.

Speaking of north Alabama, Johnson was the Gulf South Conference player of the year last season at Alabama-Huntsville, where he scored 15.9 points per game last season and posted a 37.2 clip from 3-point range over three seasons.

[AURex 1,984]

I'm hoping this young man has finally got his schiiiiite together, because he could contribute!

 

[cole256 17,039]

You notice how the article posted and highlighted all of his shooting percentages. And also talks about shooting over a number of years/seasons. 

To get a TRUE shooting percentage you can't just look at a couple of games; or just look at one facet such as just free throw or 3 point; or fg as well. You have to look at EVERYTHING to evaluate a guy.

With that being said seems like he has the tools, it's going to come down to two things. How he plays when the competition steps up and how hard he works on defense. 

These are things you can't quantify really but it's a very real thing. If you play or coach a bunch you literally see it all the time. You have some guys that when they play competition equal or below them they look like all world players, but when the stakes raise and they play guys that are better than them they get scared and doubt themselves.

I'm hoping we got some guys with heart this time around. 

[Eagle-1 3,821]

3-46.9% I'll take it all day long.

A certain guy we recently had who shall go unnamed couldn't shoot 46.9% from three feet from the basket. 

[passthebiscuits 6,831]

Bump. I think we found a star.