Auburn went from partying like rockstars after beating Kentucky to losing two games in a row. First, Texas A&M rained on their parade, and then Alabama crashed the party at home, winning 93-91 in OT. And what a heartbreaking way to lose – Mark Sears casually strolled in and dropped a 15-foot floater like it was a layup. Yet, Bruce Pearl said, “The loss tonight doesn’t take anything away from a championship season.” Meanwhile, Jeff Goodman is over here like- Uh, nope, not buying it! So, what’s going wrong with this otherwise awesome team that clinched the SEC regular season title?

Well, a lot of things. If we talk specifically about the loss against Alabama, the game itself was a pillar of overtime greatness, where the margin for error was razor-thin. And Auburn flinched when it mattered most, allowing Alabama to dominate the paint with 52 points, as Grant Nelson led with 23 points and eight rebounds. The Tigers struggled to contest shots, rotate properly on defense, and box out their opponents, leading to costly breakdowns. Their rebounding woes further worsened the problem, as Alabama capitalized on second-chance opportunities time and time again.

Then came the turning point with the ejection of Auburn’s guard, Chad Baker-Mazara, late in the second half. Baker-Mazara received a Flagrant II foul after driving his forearm into the back of Alabama’s Chris Youngblood’s head. And he only made it worse by posting a story on Instagram after the game, writing, “Rent free”, and that too with laughing emojis. 

On The Field of 68: After Dark, national analyst Jeff Goodman could not help but talk about Auburn’s discipline and ejection woes. “Listen, he’s gotta figure this out.” He said about Baker-Mazara, pointing out that the NCAA tournament is on the horizon and that Auburn cannot afford such lapses anymore. Even Johni Broome feels that his teammate needs to learn from his mistakes. Giving him a reality check, he stated, “We all love Chad, but we still had the opportunity to win the game without Chad“.

The thing is that CBM’s decision-making is really hurting the team. And the intensity of the Alabama-Auburn men’s basketball rivalry only adds another layer to his fiasco. So, when Goodman further shared his thoughts, he wasn’t as kind with his words as Broome- understandably so. “He’s still making these dumb mistakes,” Goodman said, pulling no punches for the six-foot-seven guard, “and he’s getting tossed out of games, important games, in crunch time! Like ten minutes left in a close game.” Everyone thought that Baker-Mazara learnt his lesson last year. After all, he has been in this situation before.

In Auburn’s first-round matchup against Yale in last year’s NCAA Tournament, the referees ejected Chad Baker-Mazara for a Flagrant-2 foul early on in the game. Bruce Pearl’s team ended up losing that game without the junior guard from the Dominican Republic. It seems like his emotions get the better of him in important games, and that might come at a grave cost to Auburn.

Auburn’s recent losses have people wondering if they’ll still land a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. Duke’s looking strong, leading the NET and KenPom rankings, and could give Auburn a run for that number one spot. History shows that how you finish the season really matters – just ask Gonzaga, who got the top seed over Arizona in 2022. So, Auburn’s current form could make all the difference in their tournament fate.

Jeff Goodman hence considered it necessary to send a plea to the Auburn head coach, asking him to intervene. “I know Bruce doesn’t want to lose what makes Baker-Mazara him. Right? That edge, that trash talk. But today was cheap shots.” The national analyst said, wanting Pearl to have a conversation with his player.

“Chad can’t do that,” Bruce Pearl reveals his thoughts on the ejection fiasco

After a nail-biter finish, the Auburn head coach addressed the media and fielded questions. To no one’s surprise, people started asking about Chad Baker-Mazara and his Flagrant-2 violation. Bruce Pearl weaved around the question for the most part but ended up addressing the situation.

“Chad can’t do that,” Pearl said. “This is his second time having it, and obviously we’re not as good a team without him. He takes a lot of contact. He gets hit a lot, and he can’t–if it was some sort of retaliation, he can’t retaliate.” We more than understand Pearl’s disappointment. Chad Baker-Mazara is currently the Tigers’ #2 scorer after Johni Broome, averaging nearly 13 points per game on efficient shooting splits. Not only that, his defensive presence and IQ generate a lot of crucial stops.

Also, Bruce Pearl didn’t think the officials unfairly targeted the senior guard either, also admitting that he hadn’t seen the original play and couldn’t comment directly. However, he did express a desire for the first fouls to be called to prevent escalation.

A player as effective as Chad Baker-Mazara cannot afford an ejection. It’s as simple as that. Bruce Pearl and his Auburn team are looking to win it all this year, and it’s not gonna be easy. They will need to band together if they want to stand a chance against teams like Duke, Houston, or Florida. However, if Baker-Mazara manages to get his temper in check, there’s no doubt that Auburn can beat any team in the nation on any given night.