Auburn Tigers men’s basketball head coach Bruce Pearl talked about the severity of the injury that one of his players, Chad Baker-Mazara, sustained, and how he managed to power through it all.
In a post-game press conference, Bruce Pearl addressed the injury that Baker-Mazara sustained during their game against Creighton.
“Chad, you know, obviously he’s a buck seventy-five soaking wet and he has a bony a**,” Pearl said after the game. “So, when he lands on the ground, bam, it’s wood on bone.”
Bruce Pearl keeping it real 😂 Auburn’s coach on Chad Baker-Mazara’s injury: pic.twitter.com/RxfazxBbGY
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 23, 2025
Chad Baker-Mazara suffered a bruised hip during Auburn’s NCAA Tournament game against Creighton. Early in the second half, he took a hard fall while driving to the basket and stayed down briefly before making both free throws.
He was visibly in pain and motioned to the bench to be subbed out, eventually heading to the locker room for treatment.
Despite the injury, Baker-Mazara returned to the bench in good spirits and even re-entered the game later. He finished with 17 points in just 21 minutes, showcasing his scoring ability despite the setback.
Bruce Pearl has not given an update on Baker-Mazara’s recovery plans.
Bruce Pearl Calls “Bring The Hostage Home”
Bruce Pearl opened his most recent postgame press conference by making a plea for the last American held hostage by Hamas in Gaza to be released.
“I get asked a lot how this basketball program has become so competitive over the last eight years,” Pearl said. “But for me, I believe it was God’s plan to give us this success, success beyond what we deserve. To give us this platform. To give us an opportunity to start this conference briefly and remind the world that Edan Alexander is still held hostage in Gaza right now.
“An American held hostage and not enough people in this country know his name.”
Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old Israeli-American soldier, has been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza since October 7, 2023, following their attack on Israel. He is the last known living American hostage among 59 captives, over half of whom are believed to be deceased.
“This Jewish American loves his country more than anything else. At the same time, Israel, that is our ancestral homeland and it’s under attack,” he said.
Bruce Pearl has often been open about his faith. He is Jewish, and is the first president of the Jewish Coaches Association and coaching the U.S. men’s team at the Maccabiah Games, an international event held in Israel.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
