AUBURN, Ala.- Auburn Tigers guard Tahaad Pettiford spurned the NBA Draft and returned to the Plains with hopes of taking the next step after a Final Four run and improving his draft stock after a year of leading the line for the Tigers.
The way-too-early indications are good for Pettiford, with him projecting as a first-round pick on several mock drafts, including one recently released by CBS Sports’ Kyle Boone.
Boone has Tahaad Pettiford going to the Boston Celtics with the 22nd overall pick.
“Pettiford is one of my favorite draft prospects on planet Earth because of his ridiculous shot-making audacity combined with his competitive edge and attitude,” Boone wrote on CBS Sports. “He’s a plus-athlete, too, though his 6-foot-1 frame could hinder him from rising much further than this. At Auburn this season he could be an All-American candidate.”
As a freshman, Pettiford played a key role on Auburn’s Final Four team as their sixth man and instant offense off the bench. He averaged 11.6 points per game and shot 36.6% from deep range, and often made clutch plays for the Tigers or made plays that took the roof off of Neville Arena.
Pettiford is one of the only returning Tigers, with key players like Johni Broome, Denver Jones, Miles Kelly, and Dylan Cardwell all securing NBA contracts. Chad Baker-Mazara also departed, entering the transfer portal and committing to the USC Trojans.
Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl rebuilt the entire roster in the offseason, initially with the assumption that Pettiford would not be returning. In the transfer portal, Bruce brought in guard Kevin Overton from Texas Tech, forward KeShawn Murphy from Mississippi State, guard Keyshawn Hall from UCF, and forward Elyjah Freeman from Lincoln Memorial University.
Boone’s colleague at CBS Sports, Cameron Salerno, ranked the top five teams who are most likely to win their first national title, and the Tigers made the list after reloading this offseason.
With all the new faces on the plains, Pettiford will likely move into a leadership role in the locker room. Auburn now has high standards on the hardwood, and Pettiford will be one of the key players to determine how the Tiger’s season pans out.
English (US) ·