March Musings: Chad Baker-Mazara Out At USC As NIL Gamble Backfires; Pearl Isn’t Sold On Miami (OH) NCAA Bid

We are just two weeks away from the NCAA Tournament getting underway, and if USC hopes to make a miracle run to get into the postseason, they'll have to do it without Chad Baker-Mazara. Oh, and Miami (OH) might need a conference tourney championship to get into the dance, at least according to Bruce Pearl. 

Currently riding a 5-game losing streak, USC head coach Eric Musselman has a major problem on his hands when it comes to the Trojans actually playing basketball after the upcoming Big Ten tournament. 

And now, he will do it without one of his best players, coming off an awkward situation against Nebraska over the weekend. 

President Trump Inviting Major Sports Names To White House For Roundtable Talk On Saving College Athletics

Unfortunately, drama seems to follow Chad Baker-Mazara, who transferred to USC after playing two seasons at Auburn under Bruce Pearl. It all came to a head against the Cornhuskers, where he came down hard following a blocked shot with 16:58 remaining in the second half. 

After returning to the bench area, he reportedly told Musselman that he couldn't go, and then proceeded not to sit on the USC bench, but rather a section along the baseline next to a few Trojan fans in what was an awkward moment that television cameras picked up. 

If we're being honest, I'm surprised Baker-Mazara made it the entire season, given his emotional outbursts that have followed him his entire collegiate career. But, USC decided to spend a boatload of NIL money on the talented 26-year-old wing player in hopes of making an NCAA Tourney run alongside the Trojans other transfer, Rodney Rice. 

This is obviously the risk I've been harping on for years in this NIL era. Not a single school knows exactly what they are going to get when it comes to a return on investment through the transfer portal. Most importantly, spending millions of dollars to construct a roster is a risk that plenty of schools around college sports are willing to take in hopes of hoisting a trophy at season's end. 

Now, most likely needing to win the Big Ten tournament to make the ‘Dance’, USC made the decision that the antics of Chad Baker-Mazara were not worth the squeeze, especially in this era of NIL in college athletics. 

Miami (OH) Worthy Of Making The NCAA Tournament? Bruce Pearl Disagrees

One of the most discussed teams in college basketball this season is Miami, and no, we're not talking about the team from South Florida. 

Two wins away from a perfect regular season, the Miami (OH) Redhawks are currently 29-0, after a last-second win over Western Michigan, which just happened to be a Quad-4 win. The problem for MAC conference teams is that they currently hold zero wins over a Quad-1 team, and only one win over a Quad-2 team (Akron). 

Charles Bediako No Longer Eligible To Play For Alabama, As Judge Denies Injunction In NCAA Upset Win

This has led to plenty of interesting takes, which include former Auburn coach Bruce Pearl, who noted this past weekend that the Redhawks should have a hard time getting into the NCAA tournament due to their strength of schedule. 

"With Miami (Ohio), here’s the deal," Bruce Pearl said. "Are we going to select the 68 most deserving teams, or are we going to select the 68 best teams? If we’re selecting the 68 best teams, Miami (Ohio) is gonna have to win their Tournament to qualify as a champion. As an at-large, they are not one of the best teams in the country. That’s going to be a difficult choice for the committee to make." 

Do I disagree with Pearl regarding the path Miami (OH) needs to take for an NCAA Tournament bid? Sure, but I also understand that the Redhawks do not have a marquee win on their resume' this season. So, you cannot really dismiss the comments from Pearl in terms of strength of schedule. 

"My point was this. Are we going to select 37 at-large best teams or the 37 most deserving teams," Pearl said to Wake-Up Barstool. "For me, Miami (Ohio) is one of the most deserving. IF they were a one-loss, I would still put them in. But my point was the metrics and the way they determine the tournament. It's not setup for them. 

"I've said, if I was on the committee and they (Miami Ohio) had one, maybe even two (losses), you've got the human element that allows you to do it. But the math, all by itself, doesn't work for them."

Ok, I'm not going to disagree with Pearl on that take, given how much we dissect the metrics this time of year around the NCAA Tournament. 

But, I'd much rather see a 31-0 (if they win out the regular season) Miami (OH) Redhawks team in the ‘Big Dance’ starting in two weeks, over a twelve-loss team from the SEC or Big Ten. 

Just give us Cinderella, and let's see if they can put on the glass slipper over the course of three weeks starting later this month.