For the second time in his Auburn basketball career, Chad Baker-Mazara was ejected from a game on a flagrant 2 foul. The first time was during the 2024 NCAA Tournament when he was tossed early into the game and the Tigers went on to lose to Yale. The second was last weekend against Alabama.
Baker-Mazara was once again given a flagrant 2 foul after making contact with Alabama's Chris Youngblood, and he missed most of the second half and the overtime period in the loss. Baker-Mazara has played all season with a reputation as a fiery player, and at times this season his temper has gotten him into trouble.
But as Auburn basketball's second-leading scorer this year, Baker-Mazara is not someone without whom the Tigers can easily win. He shoots at 46.9 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from behind the arc while averaging 12.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
"My message to Chad is to learn from his mistakes," Broome said following the loss to Alabama. "Want to change, want to do better for the team and for himself. We all love Chad, we still had the opportunity to win the game without Chad. Obviously he's down on himself, as well, because he'd rather be out there with us. The message to him is to try to learn from his mistakes."
Now, Auburn basketball legend Charles Barkley is chiming in, and he offered Baker-Mazara advice from an unexpected person.
"Chad has got to be really careful with his emotions," Barkley said, via "The Field of 68" podcast, per Auburn Undercover. "Nick Saban, the greatest coach in college football history says, 'I want you to play with emotion. But don't be emotional.' I asked him about that one time and if you go back, he says especially in big games when you're really excited, all the TV networks are there, the fans are going crazy. Because one emotional decision gets you tossed from the game or gets you a penalty. Playing with emotion and being emotional are two different things."
CBM and the Tigers return to action this Friday in the SEC Tournament.