Auburn's Glue Guy, Chad Baker-Mazara is Key to Deep Tournament Run

In the absence of Johni Broome, Chad Baker-Mazara has stepped up as the leader the Auburn Tigers need.

Auburn Tigers guard Chad Baker-Mazara reacts after scoring a three-point basket against the Georgia Bulldogs. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

With Johni Broome continuing to heal, small forward Chad Baker-Mazara steps up to keep the metaphorical Auburn Tigers ship running. Baker-Mazara’s ascent into a leading role does not look like that far of a stretch for him. As a result, the team does miss Broome, but with Baker-Mazara acting as the glue guy, the Tigers have won two-straight with Broome on the shelf.

In a loaded conference, the need to escape as lightly scathed as possible becomes the priority. With the ultimate goal of reaching the national championship hanging overhead, Auburn will depend on Baker-Mazara to lead while Broome finds his way back. 

Even then, the senior will need to still provide not only scoring punch, but leadership down the stretch. 

The list of great glue guys in college basketball starts with Chad Baker-Mazara

Tonight in a blowout of #15 Miss State:

20 PTS | 8/11 FG | 3/5 3PT | 2 BLK

Gets it done on both ends of the court. Fan favorite. Hard not to enjoy watching CBM pic.twitter.com/mHPNNKHO5Y

— GREENLIGHT MEDIA (@greenlightbball) January 15, 2025

Circuitous Route

Baker-Mazara started at Duquesne, bouncing after they went 9-9 in a shortened 2020/21 season having averaged 9.5 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. 

The swingman bolted for San Diego State, exclusively operating off the bench for the 23-9 Aztecs and was named the conference’s sixth man of the year. 

After remaining a bench player for his first 25 games as a Tiger, he started against Georgia on February 24, 2024. That night, he made his presence felt, torching the Dawgs for 25 points. From that point on, Baker-Mazara solidified a starting role, giving the Tigers a viable contributor to take the pressure off Broome. 

His Game

Turning 25 next week, Baker-Mazara brings a diverse bag to the table. From the scoring view point, you see a player that uses economy over volume when notching double-figures. During his 99-game NCAA career (one year in JUCO), he's only posted consecutive games of 10 or more shot attempts twice. Basically, he will get to the paint and has the athleticism to finish emphatically. 

Chad Baker-Mazara pic.twitter.com/vGPwdkaREH

— A|U HOOPS 🏀 (@AU_HOOPS) January 19, 2025

Or, and this helps Auburn to the nth degree, drifting back behind the arc, connecting on 39.4% of his attempts. Moreover, Baker-Mazara facilitates with two assists per contest and is tied for the team lead with 1.2 steals per contest.

CBM!! That's it👀 pic.twitter.com/hcUEH5fSCM

— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) January 15, 2025

Bottom Line

Chad Baker-Mazara understands the assignment. Auburn needs him to pick up some of the slack for Johni Broome. Most importantly, accomplish this while navigating a brutal conference docket. Regardless of who suits up against them, Auburn cannot afford too many hiccups. 

A No. 1 seed in both SEC and NCAA tournaments can lead to a favorable path to winning championships. Baker-Mazara and the rest of his team did not come this far to go back to the Plains empty-handed.