Tahaad Pettiford Lighting it Up to Start Auburn Career

Auburn’s star freshman guard has been an impactful piece of the Tigers’ frontcourt throughout the first nine games of his college career

Pettiford has put on a strong performance out of the gate / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers have had no shortage of players who make a difference as freshmen during Bruce Pearl’s tenure as the program’s head coach.

Players such as Jabari Smith, who was drafted No. 3 overall by the Houston Rockets in 2022; Isaac Okoro, drafted No. 5 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2020; and Sharife Cooper, drafted in the second round by the Atlanta Hawks in 2021, are a few notable Tigers who burst onto the college basketball scene as freshmen.

It appears that Auburn has another star freshman in guard Tahaad Pettiford. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound native of Jersey City, N.J. has made his presence known throughout his first nine games with the Tigers.

Pettiford is averaging 11.3 points per game, placing him at No. 3 on the Tigers behind Johni Broome and Chad Baker-Mazara, and shooting 44.9% from the field. His 21-point performance in Auburn’s win over Houston and his 20-point outing in Auburn’s road loss against Duke are his two best performances, but Pettiford has consistently been one of the Tigers’ most dependable scorers throughout the early part of the season.

Pearl knows he has a special talent on his roster in Pettiford and has been impressed by the young guard’s maturity and his desire to keep improving despite his fast start to his career.

“I mean, he's consistently made shots,” Pearl said. “He's consistently -- the better opponent, the better he plays. He wants to be coached, and we're on him pretty good. He's very accountable himself, but he wants to be taught. Our guys have done a great job, even though we've got seniors with those two freshmen, our guys have really brought them along.”

Pearl is known for his ability to put players in the NBA and while that point might still be far off for Pettiford, he knows playing for Pearl and his staff comes with that benefit. He has not hesitated for credit his teammates for the success he has enjoyed this season as well.

“My teammates and coaches, they keep me down,” Pettiford said. “If I mess up, they'll let me know the truth. They don't just sugarcoat things. My teammates, they always tell me to play my game and do what I do. Having teammates and coaches like that around me, it just makes me more comfortable to play this game.”

Pettiford is yet to appear in Auburn’s starting lineup this season, but he has not let that get to him. Making an impact when it matters the most is Pettiford’s speed.