‘He’s still going to end games’: Why Chad Baker-Mazara decided not to start against Arkansas
Chad Baker-Mazara had the option to start in Auburn basketball’s game against Arkansas Wednesday.
In a meeting with Auburn coach Bruce Pearl pregame, Mazara decided to let Chris Moore continue to start for a third straight game.
“I mean, the role hasn’t changed. I feel like, you know, I have to come out there and perform at a high level, whether I’m in the starting five or off the bench,” Mazara said postgame after the Arkansas victory. “And the reason why I started off the bench is because, the last couple of games, we’ve started the game, actually, with runs. I told Coach [Wednesday], ‘No need for me to change that up, the way we’ve been starting the games.’ It was kind of a personal decision, to be honest.”
Friday Pearl talked about the selflessness from his fiery guard saying he will continue to have him close out games whether he starts or not.
“Yeah, well, Chad’s clearly going to end games, and is clearly the player at the position. But Chad and I talked before the game about whether he wanted to come back and start now, how he felt about it, and he said, you know what, we’ve been starting Well, the last few games so let Chris stay in there,” Pearl said. So, I’ll talk to him again [Friday] or [Saturday], and you know, so that’s probably going to see how that goes.”
“This being Chris last year, it gives us, obviously, more firepower off the bench, and as long as Chad can come in, and do what he can do. Then we get we get stronger.”
Moore played 13 minutes Wednesday and scored just two points. As a fifth-year senior at Auburn, he serves as the vocal leader on the court especially on the defensive end.
“I think it adds more balance. We’ve got a huge advantage when we have either guy on the court. We are deep at every position, but Moore just adds that tenacity and that defense that most people don’t have. He’s very unselfish. He makes winning plays all the time. He’s one of those guys where he’s ready when his name is called. He’s shooting more threes and making more threes. I’m happy he’s starting,” Dylan Cardwell said to the media Friday. “For me, I love Chad, and I love when Chad starts. But I think having Chad come off the bench helps our bench a whole lot.”
The Tigers bench outscored Arkansas 33-8 led by the scoring of Mazara and Chaney Johnson.
For Moore, he’s grateful for the opportunity and appreciates the team for trusting him in the starting rotation.
“It means that, you know, we’re all in it for one another. We trust in one another. It shows the unselfishness that we have on this team, man. It shows us why we succeed in this league, honestly,” Moore said Friday.
Auburn and Georgia will meet on Saturday, Feb. 22. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on ESPN.
Jerry Humphrey III covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Jerryhump3 or email him at [email protected].