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Auburn's Tahaad Pettiford Makes Decision On Future With Program

Originally posted on Auburn Tigers on SI
By Austin Walls | Last updated May 28, 2025 3:42 PM ET

Auburn Tigers point guard and sixth-man Tahaad Pettiford will return to the Plains for his sophomore season. The program announced his official return Wednesday afternoon.

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He is the only player from Auburn’s rotation a season ago to return. Most were drafted or graduated and the rest transferred this offseason, highlighted by guard Chad Baker-Mazara who is now at USC. Pettiford put his name into the NBA Draft while remaining eligible for college play. He had been invited to the NBA Draft Combine ahead of his decision.

With the return of Pettiford, he will slot right in as the starting point guard and be the leader that Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl was molding him to be in 2024.

"If he does come back, he's going to have to play an expanded role, which I know is something that is exciting to him — and probably exciting to our fan base, too, because we'll get to see more of him," Bruce Pearl said last week, per 247Sports. "He'll be a starter. There will be more on him."

In 2024, Pettiford came off the bench as the sixth man behind guard Miles Kelly. He played in 38 games, starting only one of them, averaging 22.9 minutes, 11.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, three assists and nearly a steal a game. Down the stretch, Pettiford’s performances in the NCAA Tournament led them on their deep run putting up scoring tallys of 16, 23, 20 and 10 before the Tigers lost in the Final Four to the eventual champion, the Florida Gators. Pettiford only scored seven in that game.

Like many of his teammates in the past, Pettiford announced his intentions to enter the draft, but without an agent. Forwards Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell both had entered the draft to test the NBA Combine and go through the process before they returned to the Tigers. Pettiford is doing the same.

As Pearl said above, despite being only a sophomore next season, Pettiford will have to be a leader this upcoming season. Pearl had to rebuild most of the roster. He brought in six new transfers and three players from the recruiting class. Pettiford will be integral to knowing how Pearl wants to run his team. Either way, it appears the Tigers reloaded with Tahaad Pettiford at the forefront.