Chad Baker-Mazara is under the microscope after Auburn’s narrow 93-91 loss to Alabama in Saturday’s IBOB matchup. Despite contributing seven points, three assists, and two rebounds in just 17 minutes, the Auburn wing’s night ended abruptly—and controversially—when he was ejected for a flagrant elbow to Alabama’s Chris Youngblood.
The incident was a turning point in the game, as Auburn struggled without Baker-Mazara’s defensive energy in the final stretch. His absence left a void that Alabama exploited, raising questions about his on-court discipline and decision-making.
Kevin Scarbinsky of AL.com didn’t hold back, urging Baker-Mazara to apologize to his teammates:
“Chad Baker-Mazara should apologize to every single one of his Auburn teammates. Second straight year he wasn’t there for them all the way to the wire of a big game in March through no one’s fault but his own.”
Rivals’ Brian Stultz echoed this sentiment, calling out Baker-Mazara’s behavior as detrimental:
“Chad Baker-Mazara continues to hurt his team with his selfish antics.”
However, ESPN’s Seth Greenberg took it a step further, suggesting Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl should take drastic action:
“I’d sit him in the SEC Tournament. Say, you know it’s a privilege to play. We’ve got to get his attention because if he does that in the NCAA Tournament, Auburn ends up going home.”
Despite the criticism, Pearl seems reluctant to impose such a harsh penalty. When asked about Baker-Mazara’s ejection, he admitted, “Chad can’t do that,” but also defended his player:
“We aren’t as good a team without him,” Pearl said postgame, while pointing to the physicality that led to the altercation.
This isn’t Baker-Mazara’s first flagrant foul of the season, and pundits worry it won’t be his last. With March Madness on the horizon, Auburn cannot afford to lose one of its key contributors to preventable mistakes.
While fans and analysts call for accountability, Pearl faces a difficult decision: How does he balance holding Baker-Mazara responsible while keeping the team competitive in high-stakes games?
If Auburn hopes to make a deep tournament run, Baker-Mazara must channel his aggression into productive play rather than costly fouls. As it stands, his fiery demeanor could be the Tigers’ Achilles’ heel in March.
