USC forward Chad Baker-Mazzara made a name for himself in the NCAA Tournament last season by helping Auburn make the Final Four for the second time in school history. He scored 18 points while adding four steals and a block against Florida.
After Auburn lost to Florida in the semifinals, Baker-Mazzara transferred to USC. Born in the Dominican Republic, Baker-Mazzara was inspired by two basketball figures, his father, former Dominican national team player, and the late legend Kobe Bryant.
“Besides my dad, Kobe was one of the reasons I chose basketball,” Baker-Mazzara told the Los Angeles Times. “It was one of my dreams to have him come and see me play. It didn’t happen, but I think he’s here in spirit. This is his town. This is Kobe Bryant.”
Chad Baker-Mazzara, who was recently named MVP of the Maui Invitational, seems like a great fit for the Trojans. He headlines our Esquina Top Latinos to Watch in Men’s College Basketball.
Another stop for Chad Baker-Mazzara
Chad Baker-Mazzara, Forward, USC
Chad Baker-Mazzara has climbed the ranks throughout his career. He began his freshman year at Duquesne, finishing the 2020–2021 season ranked third in the A-10 in 3-point percentage (41.7). The following year at San Diego State, he earned Mountain West Conference Sixth Man of the Year honors.
After a junior college season at Northwest Florida State College, he spent two years at Auburn, and made two NCAA Tournament appearances. The 6-foot-7 forward was a Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award finalist after averaging 12.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists in his final season for the Tigers.
As an undergraduate student, Baker-Mazzara has already established a new career by scoring high twice. He scored 26 points on November 9 against Manhattan. He topped the score with 34 points in the triple-overtime thriller against Troy.
No. 2 Yaxel Lendenborg, forward, Michigan
Yaxel Lendenborg, who was named to the Naismith Carl Malone Award watch list, has accomplished a lot in his college career. The 6-foot-7 forward spent two years at UAB, before transferring to Michigan for his senior season.
In both seasons as a Blazer, he averaged a double-double and earned All-American Conference first-team honors. He was also the American Conference Defensive Player of the Year twice.
He averaged team-highs of 16 points and 7.6 rebounds in his first season as a Wolverine.
Cream Abdul Jamar
No. 3 Robbie Avila, center, SLU
SLU senior center Robbie Avila was named to the Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year Watch List. He was given the nickname “Cream Abdul Jabbar” while playing as a freshman and sophomore at Indiana State. Avila transferred to Saint Louis University before his junior season.
In his first season as a Billiken, he averaged 17.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game last season to earn a spot on the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award watch list.
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The 6-foot-10 tall Mexican American has an exceptional ability to read defenses and scan the floor, which sets him apart from others at the center position. Last season at Saint Louis University, he led all centers in NCAA basketball in assists per game (4.0). This season he is averaging 12.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3 assists.
No. 4 Victor Valdes, forward, Troy
As a sophomore at Troy, Victor Valdes started only three games and averaged only 4.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 34 appearances. The 6-foot-7 forward from Monterrey, Mexico has shown considerable improvement in his junior season.
Valdes is averaging 16.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists this season. The increase in scoring is encouraging. He has already crossed the 20-point mark in three games. He had a season-high 15 points last season.
Hall of Fame Bloodlines
No. 5 Kiyan Anthony, guard, Syracuse
Kiyan Anthony, the son of Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony, established himself as a top recruit by competing at a high level of basketball during his high school career at Long Island Lutheran, where he averaged 15.4 points as a senior. He earned a spot in the Jordan Classic All-Star Game, where he dropped 26 points and five rebounds.
The 6-foot-5 guard decided to follow in the college footsteps of his father and NBA Hall of Famer Carmelo, who led the Orange to their only NCAA Tournament championship in 2003.
Kylian Anthony is now looking to create his own chapter at Syracuse. The original player averaged 11.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists a game.
No. 6 Johnuel “Boogie” Fland, guard, Florida
Jonuel “Boogie” Fland was a highly recruited prospect coming out of high school in 2024. He was a McDonald’s All-American. Fland also won the New York MaxPreps High School Boys Basketball Player of the Year award.
Fland played a key role for Arkansas as a true freshman, starting the first 18 games of the season and missing the remainder of the regular season due to an injured thumb. He averaged 13.5 points and 5.1 rebounds.
The Dominican American guard transferred to Florida for his sophomore season. He has become a defensive force, averaging 1.7 steals and 12 points per game. He had four steals against Florida State and three against Arizona.
Reigning CAA Player of the Year
No. 7 Tyler Tejada, forward, Towson
Tyler Tejada is coming off his best season for the Towson Tigers. As a sophomore, the 6-foot-9 forward started 25 games and averaged 16.7 points. He led Towson to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1991.
Tejada was the first Towson Tiger to be named CAA Player of the Year since 2014. He was also All-CAA First Team and a finalist for the 2024–2025 Lou Henson Award, which is given to the top player playing outside of the Power Five conferences. The junior forward is averaging a team-high 18.6 points and 6 rebounds.
No. 8 Isaac Taveras, guard, Southern Miss
Isaac Taveras, a highly skilled 6-foot-6 guard from the Dominican Republic, had a stellar performance in his final year at North Florida Educational Institute. He was the Duval Sports Boys Basketball Player of the Year, which is given to the top high school player in the Jacksonville area, after averaging 22.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.7 steals.
After not starting a game as a freshman at Fresno State, Taveras led South Plains Junior College to the NJCAA Championship semifinals. Now a junior at Southern Miss, he has made an immediate impact. In his Golden Eagles debut against Buffalo, he scored 28 points. He averaged 17.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2 steals in seven games.
elite shot blocker
No. 9 Owen Aquino, forward, High Point
Owen Aquino, a 6-foot-8 forward with Dominican heritage, has become an elite shot blocker. As a junior, he started 35 games for Liberty, where he led the team in blocks (39).
He transferred to High Point for his senior year. He leads the team with eight blocks while averaging 7.6 points and 4.9 rebounds.
No. 10 Daniel Rivera, forward, UAB
Daniel Rivera, who is from San Juan, Puerto Rico, has left an indelible mark on every program he has played for during his college career. As a freshman, he led Bryant with 73 blocks and was second on the team with 266 rebounds.
After transferring to UMass for his sophomore year, he led the Minutemen in rebounding (216) and was second in blocks (42).
In seven games this season, the senior leads UAB with nine blocks. He is averaging 10.7 points per game. His strong defensive presence has helped the Blazers limit opponents to a .425 field goal percentage, which ranks second in the American Athletic Conference.
3 point threat
No. 11 Melo Sanchez, guard, Central Connecticut
Melo Sanchez established himself as a 3-point threat early in his college career. During his freshman season at Hawaii Pacific, he led the PacWest Conference in 3-point percentage (.461) and ranked seventh in the entire Division II.
After spending his junior season with Arkansas, where he appeared in only two games, the 6-foot-4 Mexican American guard transferred to Central Connecticut. Sanchez remains a threat behind the arc. He leads the team with 13 3-pointers.
No. 12 All Right, Guard, Xavier
All right, who was born in Durango, Mexico and raised in Missouri, made an immediate impact as a freshman at Valparaiso. He was the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year Award and earned a spot on the MVC All-Freshman Team.
In 31 starts for the Beacons, he scored more than 20 points 13 times and broke the Valparaiso freshman scoring record with a 32-point game against Indiana State.
The 6-foot-3 guard transferred to Xavier after his freshman year. He averages 11.3 points and leads the Musketeers in three-point percentage (54.1).
Another arena in college
No. 13 Alija Arenas, guard, USC
Alijah Arenas is a five-star recruit coming off of a historic high school basketball career at Chatsworth High School. He is the all-time leading scorer in CIF LA City Section history, scoring 3,002 points in just three seasons. Gilbert Arenas’ son is 14th on California’s all-time scoring list.
He was a 2025 McDonald’s All-American after leading Chatsworth to a state regional title as a senior by averaging 29.3 points in his final season with Chancellor.
The 6-foot-5 guard committed to USC in January. He has still not suited up for the Trojans this season as he recovers from a knee injury he suffered in July.
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