Transfer Portal Drama: Auburn's Baker-Mazara and Memphis' Haggerty Make Moves, Cofie Chooses USC
As a veteran in the realm of sports journalism and digital marketing, I’ve seen a lot of players come and go, but the story of Chad Baker-Mazara and PJ Haggerty entering the transfer portal has me thinking—here’s a rare chance for college basketball teams to snag a couple of ballers with serious game. These guys aren’t just numbers; they’re players who bring with them the kind of experience and grit that can turn a team around. Baker-Mazara, with his Final Four run, and Haggerty, with that scoring prowess… it’s like two lottery tickets up for grabs. The college basketball scene is undoubtedly buzzing with intrigue—and perhaps a little greed—as the deadline to snag these talents looms. It’s a fascinating time for those of us who’ve watched this dance for years; the dynamics of talent acquisition have always been a high-stakes game.
Baker-Mazara, who turned 25 in January, started 34 games and was the Tigers’ second-leading scorer last season, averaging a career-high 12.3 points during their run to the Final Four. He has one year of eligibility left because of a temporary waiver giving student-athletes who previously competed at a non-NCAA school a fourth season at an NCAA school in 2025-26.All-American and leading scorer Johni Broome, Denver Jones, Dylan Cardwell and Miles Kelly have used up their college eligibility, so Auburn coach Bruce Pearl now has lost his entire starting five from last season’s No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament.Haggerty will be headed for his fourth program in four years. He appeared in six games as a freshman for TCU, then averaged 21.2 points as a redshirt freshman at Tulsa before making the move within the American Athletic Conference to Memphis.Haggerty was the nation’s third-leading scorer last season, averaging 21.7 points along with 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 steals while helping the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament. He scored 18 points on 7-for-23 shooting in a first-round loss to Colorado State.He started 16 of 32 games for the Cavaliers, averaging 7.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals while shooting 49% from the field. Cofie is from Seattle.
Baker-Mazara played two seasons at Auburn after a season at Northwest Florida State. He played his sophomore season at San Diego State and as a freshman at Duquesne; that year did not count toward eligibility because of a COVID-19 waiver.Jacob Cofie has left Virginia after his freshman year to join USC, making him the first player to join the Trojans from the transfer portal this season.Auburn guard Chad Baker-Mazara and Memphis star PJ Haggerty have entered the transfer portal, instantly making them two of the most productive players available before the college basketball portal closes next week.
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