Chad Baker-Mazara wasn't on the floor for a good portion of the second half of Saturday's IBOB matchup with Alabama, but the Auburn wing still took on some blame for the Tigers' 93-91 loss to the Crimson Tide.
Actually, that's why he's taking the blame. CBM was missing during a game where his defensive prowess and energy-inspiring presence was badly needed.
In the 17 minutes he played, Baker-Mazara had seven points, three assists, and two rebounds. Then he got sucked into physicality with Alabama's Chris Youngblood, throwing an elbow to the back of the head while being boxed out, and was thrown out in the second half.
AL.com's Kevin Scarbinsky condemned CBM for the showing, going as far as urging Baker-Mazara to apologize to the rest of the team.
"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," Scarbinsky wrote.
Rivals' Brian Stultz was less dramatic, but his general message was the same.
"Chad Baker-Mazara continues to hurt his team with his selfish antics," Stultz wrote.
ESPN's Seth Greenberg had the most dramatic reaction. Greenberg called for Bruce Pearl to sit CBM during March Madness.
“I’d sit him in the SEC Tournament," Greenberg said. "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.”
Needless to say, that's not happening.
Bruce Pearl said "Chad can't do that," but otherwise didn't sound too condemnatory of Baker-Mazara overall.
"What I'd like is for the first fouls to be called," Pearl said postgame, per On3. "I haven't seen the play so I can't comment on whatever happened there. Flagrant 2, this is his second time having it. We aren't as good a team without him."
No one knows CBM better than Pearl. But no one should better understand what his antics could do to his team either.
Pearl needs to rein Baker-Mazara in and make sure another March Madness doesn't slip through the cracks.