Bizarre Chad Baker-Mazara news may burst USC's March Madness bubble

The USC Trojans' slim chances of making the NCAA Tournament just became even thinner. 

In the second half of the Trojans' 82-67 home loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday, guard Chad Baker-Mazara appeared to exit with an injury. Now, he's no longer with the team. On Sunday, USC confirmed he has left the program. 

Why did Chad Baker-Mazara leave USC?

The reason for his departure remains unclear. USC didn't offer any explanation when it made the announcement. 

"We have nothing additional to add at this time," USC spokesperson Kristen Keller texted Beth Harris of the Associated Press. 

In Saturday's game, Baker-Mazara appeared to tell Trojans head coach Eric Musselman that he couldn't re-enter after a hard fall following a block on Cornhuskers forward Pryce Sandfort (via ESPN's Jeff Brozello). He then sat near injured junior guard Rodney Rice in an area with fans instead of the bench before leaving the arena. 

"He said he couldn't go," Musselman said of Baker-Mazara (via Borzello). The coach added he had not spoken with the team's trainer about his status. 

When asked why Baker-Mazara sat with fans instead of with the team, the coach said there were not enough chairs on the bench. Whatever contributed to the guard's departure, it's coming at a bad time for USC. 

How Chad Baker-Mazara's exit hurts USC's NCAA Tournament chances

The Trojans (18-11, 7-11 Big Ten) needed a late-season push to re-enter the NCAA Tournament conversation. USC has lost five straight games and is now considered a long shot to make the tournament unless it wins the Big Ten Tournament, which would help it secure an automatic bid. In a story published Sunday, ESPN's Neil Paine reported the Trojans have a 14% chance of clinching an at-large bid in the "Big Dance." 

Baker-Mazara, 26, was poised to play a big part during USC's final two regular-season games and the Big Ten Tournament. He had assumed the No. 1 role on offense since Rice (who averaged 20.3 points per game in six contests this season) suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in December. After 26 games, the guard was logging a team-leading 18.5 PPG.  

Now that he's suddenly vanished, it seems USC's hopes of making March Madness have also evaporated.