"We Want To Show The World Who We Truly Are': Dominican Basketballer Chad Baker-Mazara On Latinos In U.S. Sports

The landscape of college sports has changed drastically in recent years. The introduction of bigger television deals, added to the reshuffling of conferences, extra years of eligibility, a reformed transfer portal and the spread of NIL deals (name, image and likeness) have revolutionized the way universities see their athletic programs.

This new era has opened the doors to players around the world who maybe wouldn't have had the such opportunities in the past. That is the case for Auburn wing Chad Baker-Mazara, who moved to the U.S. in 2017 as a 17-year-old to live with his grandfather and chase his dream of becoming a basketball player.

Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Baker-Mazara is one of the more than 36,000 Latino student-athletes currently competing at any of the three divisions of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

In fact, participation of Latino student-athletes has seen a 70% increase over the past decade, giving people like Baker-Mazara the opportunity to shine in some of the biggest stages.

"I take a lot of pride on that. I have played against, as well as trained with, a lot Latinos that are currently playing in college basketball. Seeing a brother or a friend put in the same effort, sometimes even more, just to make it here and fulfill a dream...it means the world," Baker-Mazara told The Latin Times.

His hard work and gifted basketball IQ landed him the opportunity to play for a top program such as the Auburn Tigers, which have had a historic start to the 2024-25 season, posting a 18-1 record and earning the school's first-ever unanimous No.1 ranking in the AP Poll.

Baker-Mazara says his second season at Auburn has felt like a dream come true.

"I always wanted to say I was part of a team ranked first in the nation. It feels even better when it is the first time in school history we are ranked first unanimously. It is a great feeling because we have put in the work to get here."

But in order for Auburn to get to the top of the rankings, they had to learn from their shortcomings. More concretely, from their early exit during the 2024 NCAA Tournament against Yale. Back then, the Tigers were favored to win by 13.5 points. It was a particularly harder pill to swallow for Baker-Mazara, as he got ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul in the opening minutes of the first round matchup.

"It was obviously very unfortunate that we lost to Yale last year. The worst part was that my father had come to the game to surprise me. He travelled all the way from the Dominican Republic to Spokane, Washington. He surprised me the night prior to the game and then everything that went down with the game...that was the worst for me."

But despite the negative outcome, Baker-Mazara said he is thankful for what happened.

"I made a promise to my dad and to myself that I would put all the foolishness and the extra things out my game. It was very sad, but at the same time I thank God for letting me experience it. I feel like if it had happened at any other moment I wouldn't have learned as much from it, but the fact that it happened during March Madness...it was a good thing at the end of the day."

He revealed to The Latin Times that after the loss to Yale, head coach Bruce Pearl motivated the team in a very particular way that has helped them to the best record in college basketball so far this season.

"Since we lost to Yale, he (Bruce Pearl) wrote in a whiteboard the final score of that game in big numbers," Baker-Mazara said. "Nobody could erase it or anything, it was there all summer. 76-78. Every time we walked by the locker rooms we would see it...and I feel like that ignited something inside for those who returned. Even the new guys understood what he was trying to tell us. They knew we were in pain, that we were angry and wanted revenge."

It has not been an easy task for Auburn to be the number one team in the nation. According to statistical website Kenpom, the Tigers have had the toughest schedule in college basketball this year, including eight games against ranked opponents.

When asked about what makes Auburn the best team in the country, Baker-Mazara said it is chemistry.

"I think that has to do with how we are outside of the court. We are like brothers, we trust each other. That translates a lot when we are playing. We always want to see each other succeed and get better," he said.

The Tigers were able to retain a few key pieces that contributed to a 27-8 season last year thanks in part to strong NIL deals. Baker-Mazara says this new era of collegiate sports has changed the lives of him and his family.

"I have been able to help my mother, my father, my little sisters. It has its pros and cons because it makes college sports more like a business instead of just getting a scholarship. But on the bright side it has helped change lots of lives, including mine and my family's."

"Me and Coach K made eye contact"

While talking about his favorite memories so far this season, Baker-Mazara's face lit up when asked about Auburn's visit to Cameron Indoor Stadium, homecourt of the Duke Blue Devils.

"Being honest with you, growing up Duke was my team. So playing at Cameron Indoor Stadium and almost winning the game was truly special for me," he said.

But according to Baker-Mazara, the moment that will stick with him forever was when he made eye contact with legendary basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski.

"I made a three-point play after a foul on a tough shot early in the first half. After I made the shot me and Coach K made eye contact and he sort of winked at me as of saying 'good shot,' I couldn't believe it. I was like wow Coach K was impressed...my dream was to play for him growing up."

"We want to show the world who we truly are"

Both at the personal and team level, Baker-Mazara and the Auburn Tigers have a lot to prove this season after the unfortunate loss in the NCAA Tournament. And for the Dominican, the goals are clear.

"We want to win back-to-back SEC Tournament titles and of course add a regular season title on the last game of the season against Alabama. We are focused on reaching the Final Four," he said. "We want to show the world who we truly are."

Individually, Baker-Mazara is shortlisted for the Julius Erving Award, which is bestowed to the best small forward in Division I basketball. As he told Latin Times, winning it would mean the world to him. "I'd like to win it, and I'd love to shush all the haters that attacked me after the game against Yale."