Chad Baker-Mazara had a rough night when Trojans needed him most

4 days ago 2

The USC men's basketball team's back-to-back big blowout losses against Michigan and Michigan State, by 30 and 29 points respectively, have been tough to swallow.

But the most difficult part for me personally has been seeing that star Trojan guard Chad Baker-Mazara has struggled so mightily in each of those two games.

Baker-Mazara won me over early in the season with his clutch, swagger-filled performances in the Maui Invitational tournament and gave many Trojan fans hope that USC could continue winning amidst injuries to Rodney Rice and Alijah Arenas.

Baker-Mazara's performances on Michigan trip

But when tasked with leading the Trojans against the mighty Wolverines and Spartans, Baker-Mazara really scuffled.

Against Michigan he managed only 12 points on 3-11 shooting. Give credit to the Wolverines' elite defense, which overmatched USC in every facet.

But the really puzzling result came against Michigan State. Baker-Mazara was out of the starting lineup for the first time all season, played only 18 minutes and scored only 4 points. It was the first time he scored in single digits all season and the first time he attempted less than 10 shots.

Why would head coach Eric Musselman hold arguably his best player out of the starting lineup for what was arguably USC's most important game of the early season? It seems counterintuitive unless there was something deeper going on.

Not here to speculate

I want to make something clear before I continue. While I do believe we don't know the full story about why Baker-Mazara's role was so limited against Michigan State, I have no idea why he didn't start against the Spartans. Eric Musselman and USC have kept that under wraps. It could have been for a disciplinary reason, Baker-Mazara could have been feeling under the weather. Though unlikely, it could technically be because that's just what Musselman thought the matchup called for.

Because I don't know that, this is not intended as a criticism of Baker-Mazara or Musselman. This piece is more intended to encourage Baker-Mazara amidst whatever is going on. A pseudo-Phillies fan giving Trea Turner a standing ovation, if you will.

USC needs Baker-Mazara's leadership

Chad Baker-Mazara gets a lot of flak for still being a college basketball player despite the fact that he is turning 26 in three weeks.

I, for one, am grateful to have him as a Trojan for that reason. How often do you get the opportunity to have a player who has six seasons of college basketball under his belt at five different schools in your program? Not often.

Baker-Mazara brings the kind of experience that should foster on-court leadership, leadership that USC desperately needs right now.

Baker-Mazara can take over games like few others

The highlight of the USC men's basketball season for me was seeing Baker-Mazara lead USC to a Maui Invitational tournament win seemingly via sheer will.

After Rodney Rice got hurt during USC's matchup with Seton Hall, Baker-Mazara scored 18 points to help deliver USC the narrow win, then went on to score 23 points on 9-16 shooting in the tournament championship game vs Arizona State.

But it wasn't just that Baker-Mazara was scoring so much, it was how. Three pointers off the dribble, calling for isolations and beating his defender one-on-one, celebrating vehemently each time he scored. It was like watching a pickup basketball game at the NCAA Division I level. It was beautiful.

To see him relegated to the sideline in such a big game just doesn't sit right with me.

A star amidst a tumultuous era

Chad Baker-Mazara has represented something rare for USC fans this season: a star that they can get behind amidst a period of so much player turnover.

Remember, Eric Musselman has retained only two scholarship players in his two seasons as head coach at USC. In addition, the Trojans were really mediocre at best last season.

The early season surge by USC was a welcome sight, and so was having a clear star to root for that was leading the charge. Baker-Mazara may not be the most popular figure amidst other fanbases, but LA has always loved a little personality on our side.

It also helped that Baker-Mazara was making history for USC, including his run of 20+ point games that lasted for most of December.

Where do we do from here?

So, with that said, I just really hope that Baker-Mazara gets back on track. If there's something going on behind the scenes, I hope it gets figured out.

Chad, know that you're supported and appreciated by USC fans. We know that the team needs you, but mean that in an encouraging way, not as a statement meant to put pressure on you. Fight on, sir.

Baker-Mazara and the Trojans will have their next chance to bounce back on Friday against Minnesota in Minneapolis.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC's Chad Baker-Mazara has worst game of season vs Michigan State

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