Auburn Star Stepping Into Leadership Role In Second Year With Tigers

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Alex O'Reilly | Last updated Jun 28, 2025 2:17 PM ET

The Auburn Tigers had an excellent 2024-25 college basketball season. The team was one of the No. 1 seeds in the March Madness tournament and reached the Final Four. While they were eliminated 79-73 in the Final Four, their loss was against the eventual national champion Florida Gators.

One player who stood out for the Tigers last season was guard Tahaad Pettiford. In his freshman season, he averaged 11.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. He is now expected to fill a bigger role as he prepares for his sophomore year.

On Saturday, Auburn assistant coach Steven Pearl spoke with 247Sports about Pettiford and his expectations for next season. He believes that Pettiford is taking on a leadership role with the team despite only being a sophomore.

"You can just tell he's taken on a different role."

Steven Pearl continued praising Pettiford after his return to practice. He mentioned that while practice was good for the first three weeks without him, now that he is back, the team has an entirely different feel.

"Our practices were really good the first three weeks, but this last week, practice was way different having him out there."

Tahaad Pettiford was a highly rated recruit out of high school. According to 247Sports, he was the No. 29-ranked player in the nation and No. 2-ranked point guard. Next season, he is looking to break out and live up to his potential.

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

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