Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
Swashbuckling wing Chad Baker-Mazara hit the portal today, leaving an adoring legion of Auburn fans wondering why.
Why does it have to end like this? How can Baker-Mazara actually leave Auburn of his own accord?
The answer to that question leads us to the uncomfortable intersection of commerce and loyalty — an area well-versed in controversy and confusion and mania and bewilderment. It's a place where doing what's best for one's self, or for one's family, can concurrently be cheered and jeered by the same people using the same set of principles. College athletics is about the money these days and Baker-Mazara is intent on maximizing his earning potential right now.
He endeavors to strike while the proverbial irons are hot.
And while I generally struggle to chastise a young person for taking charge of their life and at least attempting to put themselves in the best position to win, I will do that here nonetheless. I will do that because life is more than money. And Chad Baker-Mazara's winning equation involves more than bank statements and bank shots. He may not see that yet. I think he will in time — and he will regret what he's in the process of doing right now.
There are sides to Baker-Mazara. Basketball fans usually see Effervescent Chad, who skips around at practice and encourages teammates and gobbles fruit chews by the handful and sings and dances and generally has a damn good time. I love that side of Baker-Mazara. Just watching him at practice has put me in a better mood many times and I'll admit that sometimes I attend practice just to hear Baker-Mazara be ... himself.
You also have Pugilistic Chad. You see him occasionally on the court when he's picking up technical fouls for pseudo-violent conduct or vociferous dissent that wanders well beyond the norm. He's frustrating. He's annoying. He's not someone you build a program — or even a lineup — around. He gets nonlinear thoughts his his head about respect, needing more respect, and struggles to get those thoughts out of his head.
He's grown during these past two years. Baker-Mazara is better about getting those thoughts out of his head. He has better control of his emotions, or at least understanding how to use emotions as a positive rather than a negative, and that's something many full-grown adults struggle to improve. He deserves to be lauded for that. I laud him for that.
Bruce Pearl is a really good basketball coach. With that said, I believe his best and most valuable trait is being able to meet people where they are — mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally. He's one in a million like that. That's why he's so good at effectuating growth from players who were deemed "head cases" or "uncoachable" or "a problem child." Pearl is patient. Pearl is straightforward with players. Pearl will rip a player one minute and hug on him the next. It's a meritocracy with him and players love that about him. (I think he learned a lot of that working for the great Dr. Tom Davis at Boston College, Stanford and Iowa.)
Baker-Mazara thrived within the culture Pearl and his staff have created at Auburn. He found a place where he could be himself, feel supported, make mistakes and improve upon those mistakes without ridicule. He became a starter and played an important role in Auburn advancing to another Final Four this past season.
It's easy as a player to believe you're responsible for everything good that happens. After all, Pearl scored zero points last season. No coach scored a single point. No fan scored a single point. Baker-Mazara scored 468.
And now Baker-Mazara believes he can command a bigger stage and a bigger payday. Programs will be eager to speak with a guy who averaged 12.3 points per game for a Final Four team. Baker-Mazara will have money thrown at him. He'll almost certainly bargain for a raise over what he was to make at Auburn next season, which to some will be seen as a commercial victory. More money means more success, right?
Baker-Mazara doesn't owe Auburn anything. What I think he's missing is that
he owes himself another year at Auburn. He's earned that reward. He finally spent consecutive seasons at the same college program (a first for him) and he's making real progress. I hope he lands with a program and a head coach that understands his unique needs. He needs patience. He needs real support. He needs toughness when it's appropriate. He needs attention when things are going well, too. He needs involvement. He is not a set-it-and-forget-it guy.
Will the extra money ultimately be worth it?
I'm not sure that even matters. We encourage everyone to get what's theirs and that's exactly what Baker-Mazara thinks he's doing.
Just remember that Auburn is more than money. Pearl has a value that doesn't show up on a bank statement.
