Chad Baker-Mazara is one of the best players for head coach Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers. No one understands that better than Auburn legend and Hall of Fame NBA player Charles Barkley.
Charles Barkley’s Take on Chad Baker-Mazara
Barkley recently joined The Field of 68 for an exclusive interview and had some positive words for Baker-Mazara.
“His energy level is so great for the team…The rest of the team is going to follow him.”
Anytime you get praise from a legend like Barkley, you are doing something right. The 25-year-old senior from the Dominican Republic is a player who can do it all for Bruce Pearl and Co.
He is currently averaging a career-best 12.9 points per game, 90% from the free-throw line, and 1.2 steals per game.
His energy at all levels and in every part of the court is one of the driving forces for one of the best teams in the entire country.
Can Auburn Go All the Way in March?
With the effort from Baker-Mazara, this Tigers team is as dangerous as they come.
But can they make a deep run to the Final Four and a possible national title? That will be up to them, as Pearl and Co. have made both deep runs and created early exits for themselves in the tournament.
The reigning SEC Tournament champions and this year’s SEC regular-season champions can be the best teams on the court, regardless of who they play. This season, the Tigers have beaten quality teams in Houston, Iowa State, Memphis, Purdue, Missouri, Tennessee, Alabama, and Kentucky.
However, they need to be on their guard against teams that might not be as notable on paper. Remember, they were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season by the 13th-seeded Yale Bulldogs in a truly shocking game.
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That absolutely cannot happen this year, and it could be unlikely due to the heart that players like Baker-Mazara play with every night.
Fans will get to see the Tigers play next against the Ole Miss Rebels at the SEC Tournament on Friday, March 14, at Noon ET in Nashville.
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