Ole Miss was allegedly a "program of interest" in Chad Baker-Mazara's transfer portal recruitment after his messy exit from Auburn. On SI's Zack Nagy labeled Chris Beard's Rebels a "program of interest" before CBM chose USC in a shocker.
"(Ole Miss) has remained linked to multiple high-profile names in the Transfer Portal market this month, including Auburn forward Chad Baker-Mazara," Nagy wrote.
"Despite the Rebels remaining a program of interest, Baker-Mazara made his move on Monday.
Baker-Mazara is seen as a narrative-shifter for Eric Musselman in Los Angeles after a disappointing first recruiiting cycle last year.
"Chad Baker-Mazara is a worker-bee force of nature. Constant energy (high motor, as basketball analysts would say), relentless rebounding, elite defense, and the ability to score when needed mark him as the kind of player USC lacked last season. The Trojans had scoring but not enough defense and rebounding. Baker-Mazara is a massive get who will give this roster a considerable upgrade. Eric Musselman finally lived up to his promise at USC, and not a moment too soon," Adam Bradford of the USA Today Network's Trojans Wire wrote.
The Field of 68's Rob Dauster sees Baker-Mazara being an offensive mismatch for Big Ten defenders.
“When he is at his best… he figures out one set, one play, one matchup, one thing that will work in a game and he will go to it over and over,” Dauster said. “Chad Baker-Mazara is good enough where you could put him in a situation where he can win a lot of matchups.”
CBM is entering his final year of eligibility, and first post-Plains, with high expectations. And that should be the case.
His level of play was never the problem. It was his ability to stay on the floor due to self-serving plays that harmed Bruce Pearl's greater good.