Chad Baker-Mazara shines in first SEC game: 'It's all about your heart and how bad you really want it'
It’s been quite the road for Chad Baker-Mazara from San Diego State to Northwest Florida State College, and now to Auburn.
Doubters have told Baker-Mazara his lean frame or lack of physicality could hinder his ability to produce at a high level in big-time college basketball.
On Saturday, inside Bud Walton Arena in his first SEC game, Baker-Mazara proved those doubters wrong in a big way.
“My whole life I’ve been dreaming about playing this game in the SEC,” he said following Auburn’s 83-51 win over Arkansas. “I’ve always heard people say I’m too skinny to play, or he might not be physical enough, and you’re just trying to prove people wrong. It’s all about your heart and how bad you really want it. That’s what started me going.”
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With Auburn struggling out of the gate and trailing 11-5, Baker-Mazara went to work. He scored 14 points and grabbed four rebounds in the first half, helping the Tigers turn a six-point deficit into a seven-point halftime lead.
He finished with 16 points, four rebounds and three assists in the win. Auburn outscored Arkansas 46-9 in bench points. Baker-Mazara nearly double up the Hogs’ bench points by himself.
“Particularly Chad Baker on offensively made some big shots and some good decisions. His plus-minus wasn’t great, but we needed his buckets to settle us down,” Pearl said.
Baker-Mazara’s plus/minus was actually +21, third best on the team. He said Pearl’s message this week was clear: SEC play requires a different level of effort and energy. Clearly, the team responded.
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“It’s SEC time, it’s not more little boys, it’s big dogs,” Baker-Mazara said. “I feel like everybody took that personally. The whole week, we talked about it. There are no more days off. There were no days off before that, but the SEC is harder.”
Following the win, Baker-Mazara was quick to credit his more experienced teammates for their impact in preparing players like himself, Aden Holloway, Denver Jones and Chaney Johnson. SEC play is a different animal and Baker-Mazara felt like the team was better prepared because of the wisdom of his teammates.
“For all the new guys, since we transfer, the older guys that have been here have said ‘it’s not the same basketball in preseason when you get to conference,’ so they been here talking us through how SEC play is,” he said.
“I feel confident because they have given me the blueprint and we came out and did what we needed to do. I feel confident in myself because this guy is talking to me and he believes in me, versus me coming out there and not knowing anything, appreciate that from the older guys.”
The 32-point loss is Arkansas’ worst loss in BWA history. It’s quite a way to start the SEC slate for Baker-Mazara and the Tigers.
“I didn’t know that, but you made it way better to be honest,” Baker-Mazara said laughing. “I always see online about how this is one of the best areas to play at, and to be honest, it really was. In the beginning, it was really loud. I couldn’t hear the guys on the court next to me, so it was exciting to be honest the way we played and clicked together. It was special to us.”
