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Auburn's Tahaad Pettiford's NBA Draft Decision Draws Strong Response From Alabama Star

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rodney Knuppel | Last updated Apr 16, 2025 11:50 AM ET

Despite being rivals on the basketball court, players from opposing schools are sharing messages on social media this week.

The Auburn Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide boast one of the premier rivalries in all of college basketball. That was certainly true during the 2024-25 season, as both teams were at or near the top of the sport all year.

Auburn and Alabama met twice during the season, splitting the two matchups. Interestingly, both teams earned victories on the road. Auburn struck first, winning 94-85 in Tuscaloosa on February 15.

Then, Alabama returned the favor with a thrilling 93-91 overtime win at Auburn on March 8.

Both teams made deep runs in the NCAA Tournament—Auburn advanced to the Final Four, while Alabama fell to Duke in the Elite Eight.

After the season, Tahaad Pettiford announced his decision to enter the NBA Draft on his official Instagram account an

Alabama' Labaron Philon then responded to the news.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by tahaad pettiford (@haad.0)

Philon, who averaged 12.1 points per game for Alabama, quickly responded to the post with the message "bleed" accompanied by a heart emoji. Philon also made headlines this week by declaring for the NBA Draft.

Pettiford was a 4-star recruit out of Hudson Catholic in New Jersey. At Auburn, he appeared in 38 games and averaged 11.6 points per game.

His best performance of the season came against Houston, when Auburn defeated the Cougars 74–69 and Pettiford poured in 21 points along with 3 assists.

Immediately following the NCAA Tournament, ESPN posted their latest 2025 NBA mock draft, listing Pettiford at No. 39, projected to go to Toronto.

Pettiford has retained his NCAA eligibility, so if he chooses to return, he could play another season at Auburn.

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

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