Tahaad Pettiford Sends Emotional Message After Final Four Loss

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Grant Bricker | Last updated Apr 5, 2025 11:46 PM ET

The Auburn Tigers were officially eliminated from March Madness on Saturday after losing 79-73 to the Florida Gators.

Tahaad Pettiford spoke to the media after the loss. He finished with seven points, one steal, four assists and three steals. Pettiford described the 2024-2025 season as the best year of his life.

Pettiford had a standout first season with the Tigers, averaging 11.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists.

He finished with double digits in scoring in each of Auburn's NCAA Tournament games except for Saturday's loss to Florida. He had 10 points more in four of his last five outings.

"This might be the best experience of my life, obviously," Pettiford said. "Being out there with my guys and doing what we do best. You know, tried to win for Auburn, but we was cut short. I wouldn't trade this experience for nothing."

Pettiford was a former four-star prospect in the 2024 class, per On3 Sports. He was the top recruit in Auburn's 2024 recruiting class. The Tigers had transfer commits from Miles Kelly (Georgia Tech), JP Pegues (Furman) and Ja'Heim Hudson (SMU).

Auburn had some significant accomplishments this season, entering the SEC Tournament as the No. 1 seed after finishing 27-4. The Tigers reached the semifinal but lost to the Tennessee Volunteers 70-65.

Auburn was the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers' March Madness run began with an 83-63 win over No. 16 seed Alabama State.

The tournament's top seed defeated the Creighton Bluejays, Michigan Wolverines, and Michigan State Spartans to earn a spot in the Final Four.

Head coach Bruce Pearl took Auburn to its second Final Four in program history this season. The last time he did so was during the 2018-2019 season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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