Tahaad Pettiford is getting noticed well beyond Auburn as he heads into his junior season.
The Auburn guard has been placed on the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Preseason Watch List, a Top 20 group from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame that spotlights the best point guards in college basketball. Pettiford is one of 20 players on the list overall and one of eight from the SEC.
That recognition comes after a big sophomore leap. Pettiford followed up a freshman season in which he averaged 11.6 points per game on Auburn’s Final Four team by taking on a much larger role last year. He finished the season averaging 15.4 points and 3.8 assists during Auburn’s NIT Championship run.
His production showed up in a lot of different ways. Pettiford scored at least 20 points in 13 games and handed out five or more assists in 14 contests. He also kept piling up personal bests along the way, including a career-high 30 points against Arizona, nine assists against Queens and four steals against Alabama.
One of his most important nights came in the NIT Championship against Tulsa, when he put up 24 points and eight assists in Auburn’s overtime win.
Still, the next step is clear. Pettiford’s scoring came with some shooting inconsistency, as he hit 39.3% of his shots from the field and 29% from three-point range last season.
That matters for an Auburn team trying to get back to the NCAA Tournament. The field is expanding to 76 teams, but the Tigers still have higher aspirations than an NIT title. They’re only two years removed from a Final Four appearance, and after losing one of their primary new pieces in Mantas Rubštavičius, Auburn will be leaning heavily on Pettiford.
Across two seasons, he has already totaled 1,025 career points and 258 assists, a strong foundation for a player expected to be one of the SEC’s most productive guards again. Auburn’s path back to the NCAA Tournament will depend in part on how much more Pettiford can give them.
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