Chris Beard and the Ole Miss Rebels have hit the NCAA Transfer Portal with force this offseason with the program up to four commitments to this point.
After landing a pledge from Butler forward Augusto Cassia on Monday, he joins Kansas guard AJ Storr, Louisville guard Koren Johnson and LSU forward Corey Chest as the current transfer additions.
But the program has remained linked to multiple high-profile names in the Transfer Portal market this month, including Auburn forward Chad Baker-Mazara.
The 6-foot-7, 190-pound senior from the Dominican Republic began his playing career at Duquesne back in 2020 prior to transferring to San Diego State following his freshman campaign.
From there, he then transferred to Auburn in 2022 where he has been a key contributor ever since.
Teams talking to Auburn transfer Chad Baker-Mazara, per @GoodmanHoops:
Arkansas
Kentucky
Ole Miss
ProvidenceThe 25-year-old senior averaged 12.3 PPG on 44.8% shooting. pic.twitter.com/q5uYSahOEd
— College Basketball Content (@CBBcontent) April 21, 2025
Baker-Mazara is rated as a four-star transfer and the No. 28 rated player in the portal. He’s the No. 4 ranked small forward.
This past season, he averaged 12.3 points per game, 3.0 rebounds per game, and 2.7 assists, while shooting 44.8 percent from the floor, 39.3 percent from three-point range, and 89.8 percent from the free-throw line.
Despite the Rebels remaining a program of interest, Baker-Mazara made his move on Monday.
He’ll head to California to join Eric Musselman’s USC Trojans program for his final season of eligibility.
Dreams turned into reality!! Let’s go to work!! #Committed @USC_Hoops pic.twitter.com/ymMVbtn6BI
— Chad Baker-Mazara (@ChadBaker2700) April 28, 2025
The 25-year-old forward heads to the Big Ten for his final season of college basketball after committing to the Trojans over Ole Miss, Kentucky and Providence.
Beard and the Ole Miss Rebels remain linked to multiple coveted available players in the Transfer Portal with the program turning up the heat for a pair of high-profile names.
Desmond Claude: USC Trojans [Guard]
Claude, who recently wrapped up his lone season under Eric Musselman in California, began his career with the Xavier Musketeers.
During the 2024-25 season with the Trojans, the 6-foot-6 guard averaged 15.8 points, 4.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds a night for USC.
Claude shot the three-ball at a 30.7 percent clip, which marked the best of his career to this point.
Prior to his time with USC, Claude averaged 16.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game during the 2023-24 season with Xavier.
He’s been a productive player throughout his collegiate career while emerging as one of the top transfers available in the portal.
Travis Perry: Guard [Kentucky]
Ole Miss has been tied to a new name in the portal: Kentucky guard Travis Perry.
The talented 6-foot-2 bucket-getter appeared in 31 games with four starts as a true freshman for the Wildcats during the 2024-25 season.
Perry capped off the year after averaging 2.7 points while shooting 31.3% from the floor and 32.1% from 3-point range.
The former Top-100 prospect in America broke the Kentucky high school scoring record during his time on the prep scene with multiple powerhouse programs pursuing his services.
Beard and the Ole Miss Rebels were contenders throughout his initial recruiting process and will once again express interest, according to multiple reports.
Now, the program remains linked to the talented Kentucky native with the staff looking to make a move for Perry. He will have three seasons of eligibility at his next destination.
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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and Ole Miss Rebels On SI: @OleMissOnSI for all coverage surrounding the Ole Miss program.
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