While Johni Broome was the SEC Player of the Year and Auburn’s clear leader for the best season in program history, in many ways, Chad Baker-Mazara was the heart and soul of the team. The 25-year-old journeyman wing brought a toughness and intensity that Bruce Pearl’s team needed, when he didn’t cross the line, and now that he’s in the transfer portal to spend his final year of eligibility elsewhere, that will be tough to replace.
With Baker-Mazara’s transfer departure, Pearl now has to replace his entire starting five from last season’s Final Four team , and to make matters worse, Baker-Mazara is already connected to an SEC rival that’s on the rise.
Kentucky is reportedly interested in Auburn transfer forward Chad Baker-Mazara 👀😳 Baker-Mazara entered the transfer portal this morning and would immediately make the Wildcats title favorites if he were to commit to Mark Pope 💪🔥 pic.twitter.com/L5zw0ByROT
— Kentucky Hoops (@kentuckyhoopsig) April 17, 2025
Chad Baker-Mazara linked to Kentucky in transfer portal
Mark Pope had a surprising amount of success in Year 1 with an entirely new roster after replacing John Calipari and cleaning house in Lexington, making a run to the Sweet 16 before falling to Tennessee. His Wildcats managed a sixth-place finish in the loaded SEC and a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and now that he has a full offseason to construct his roster, the Cats are threatening to reclaim their spot as the top dog in college basketball’s best conference…