Chad Baker-Mazara’s exit from USC was strange at the time. Now, a lawsuit is offering his version of why things fell apart so fast.
The 26-year-old filed suit against USC coach Eric Musselman in Los Angeles on Monday, according to the California Post’s Edward Lewis, alleging that Musselman launched a “racially-charged” rant after a game in February. Baker-Mazara was USC’s leading scorer when he was dismissed from the program the next day.
The lawsuit says the incident came in the locker room after USC’s Feb. 28 loss to Nebraska. According to the filing, Musselman yelled, “You shut the f-k up!
You are one of the worst teammates anyone can ever have!” Baker-Mazara says that when he asked if he should leave, Musselman shot back, “Yes, leave!
Go back to the f-king Dominican Republic! Nobody wants you here!
F-k you!”
Baker-Mazara was dismissed from the program the following day.
He is also accusing USC of skipping an NIL payment and then trying to end the agreement by invoking a “morals clause.”
“Coach Musselman’s outburst was a direct attack on Baker-Mazara’s national origin and Dominican heritage, made from a position of authority and power by the Head Coach of the team, in front of all of Baker-Mazara’s teammates,” the lawsuit states. “The tirade was unprovoked, vicious, and discriminatory.”
The suit, per the California Post, is for “breach of contract, conversion and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage.” Baker-Mazara also claims the dismissal hurt his NBA Draft stock. He went undrafted and is now on the roster of a team in Puerto Rico’s top basketball league.
Musselman arrived at USC in 2024 after guiding Arkansas to the Elite Eight twice in five seasons. USC has missed the NCAA Tournament in each of his first two years.
Baker-Mazara’s path through college basketball has been anything but ordinary. He played six years at five different schools, including a junior college stop after starting at Duquesne and San Diego State.
At Auburn, he became one of the sport’s most combustible players. He was ejected from the Tigers’ first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Yale in 2024 and picked up another ejection against Alabama in 2025, but he was also a major piece of Auburn’s run to the Final Four under Bruce Pearl.
Before his dismissal from USC, Baker-Mazara was putting up 18.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game on an injury-riddled team.
In Other News...
FSUs Linebacker Depth Just Became A Serious Alabama Concern
Florida States linebacker room took a hit at a bad time, with the Seminoles announcing that freshmen Izayia Williams and Daylen Green will miss the rest of the season because of injuries. The loss of both newcomers, combined with veteran Blake Nichelson being sidelined indefinitely, leaves the position thinner just as Florida State turns its attention to Alabama and the kind of physical matchup that can expose any cracks in the two-deep.
For a defense that will need steady communication and reliable tackling, the burden now shifts to the remaining veteran linebackers to set the tone and keep things organized. It also opens the door for younger players to see more meaningful snaps sooner than expected, which makes the next stretch of practice and preparation especially important as the Seminoles try to sort out who can help them hold up in the middle of the field. [Read more 🡒]
FSU Week 4 Has An Unusual Mike Norvell Twist
Florida States Week 4 matchup comes with a rare bit of personal history attached, even before the ball is kicked. The Seminoles are set to meet Central Arkansas on Sept. 26, 2026, at Doak Campbell Stadium in the first-ever meeting between the programs, and the game carries an unusual connection for Mike Norvell, who once played for the Bears and is now in their Hall of Fame.
Central Arkansas will bring Nathan Browns team to Tallahassee for a game that has a little more texture than a typical nonconference date. For Norvell, it is another chance to line up against a program that helped shape his path, while Florida State gets a fresh opponent on the schedule and a home matchup that should carry some added intrigue because of the ties on both sidelines. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Heads To Alabama With One Big Reason For Hope
Florida State heads into a bye week carrying a little bit of everything from its first two games, which is often the most honest kind of early-season snapshot. The Seminoles have shown up in some of the national efficiency rankings on both sides of the ball, with the offense and defense each flashing in different areas, but not in a way that has yet produced the kind of momentum this program wants after an ACC-opening loss.
Now comes the trip to No. 10 Alabama, and that is the kind of stage that can either sharpen a team or expose it. The numbers have been mixed enough to leave room for concern, but also just encouraging enough to suggest Florida State is not walking into this one empty-handed, which is why the bye week feels especially important before the Seminoles try to turn those early trends into something more meaningful. [Read more 🡒]