Tahaad Pettiford has wasted no time taking charge of Auburn’s new season.
Through two games, the junior guard has already given Steven Pearl exactly what a coach wants from an experienced backcourt piece: production, poise and clean decision-making. Pettiford followed up Auburn’s opener by torching Appalachian State on Monday, finishing with 26 points in 24 minutes while adding three assists in the Tigers’ home win.
The stat line jumps out, but Pearl pointed to something else after the game. Pettiford hasn’t turned the ball over yet in Auburn’s first two contests, and that’s what stood out most to the head coach.
“When he sees that first one go, that confidence continues to be through the roof,” he said after the game. “What I’m most pleased is three assists, no turnovers. Seven assists, no turnovers in two games.”
For a 6-foot-1 point guard from Jersey City, New Jersey, that kind of confidence has never been hard to spot. Pettiford came out firing against the Mountaineers, scoring Auburn’s first eight points in just three minutes to give the Tigers an early cushion.
Even with the size mismatch, he kept attacking. Pearl said Pettiford did a strong job getting into the paint, handling ball-screen action and playing with force, and he reached the free-throw line seven times in the game.
“I thought he could have gotten to the foul line a few more times, but I loved how aggressive he was being,” he said, “and he was setting up his ball-screen actions, and he was being physical.”
Auburn’s grip on the game loosened late in the first half, though. Appalachian State chipped away and trimmed the lead to two by halftime before the Tigers reasserted themselves after the break. Pettiford was part of the push that turned it into a 20-point second-half margin and a 22-point win.
Pearl still saw room for improvement, especially in how Auburn handled the end of the first half.
“I didn’t even realize he had that at that point, but I thought he did a good job,” he said. “We got to do a better job of continuing to get into a rhythm offensively and in playcalling. I thought we settled a bit early.”
Still, the early returns on Pettiford are hard to ignore. He’s not just putting up numbers; he’s doing it while keeping Auburn organized, which matters even more with the non-conference schedule about to get much tougher.
Next up is No. 12 Arizona, a team fresh off a Final Four run last season. Auburn is chasing that same stage, and Pettiford - who provided valuable minutes off the bench during that 2024-25 Final Four season - is now the one expected to steer the Tigers through the spotlight.
“This time, he’s the program’s leader, and Pettiford will lead the group at home to look to have a statement win in only their third game this season.
“First big game at home for us, and just go out there and do what we do every single day at practice, execute and play Auburn basketball,” the guard said. “We’ll be fine.”
Auburn meets Arizona on Friday at 8 p.m. Central, with the game set for ESPN2.
In Other News...
Auburn Just Landed A Massive Piece For Its Future Up Front
Auburn added another promising building block for the future up front with the commitment of four-star offensive lineman Jatori Williams, a 2027 prospect whose decision gives the Tigers an early foothold in a class that already has some real traction. Williams had been pledged to Miami before shifting his attention to Auburn, and his move underscores how much the Tigers have leaned on relationship-building as they try to stack talent along the line of scrimmage.
For Auburn, the appeal goes beyond rankings. Williams pointed to his bond with the coaching staff and the chance to stay close to his hometown as major factors in his choice, and those are the kinds of details that can matter just as much as a polished pitch on signing day. He now stands as the third-highest-rated commit in Auburns 2027 class and one of the top offensive line prospects in the country, a strong early marker for a program trying to secure its future in the trenches. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Still Has One Big Question Before Arizona Showdown
Auburn took care of business against Appalachian State, rolling to a 75-53 win behind Tahaad Pettifords 26 points and keeping control for most of the afternoon. The victory also extended the Tigers non-conference home winning streak to 69 games, another reminder that Neville Arena has remained a difficult place for visiting teams to survive.
Now the schedule tightens quickly with No. 13 Arizona next on the slate, and that matchup will ask a different set of questions than the Mountaineers did. Auburn has shown it can handle business at home, but the Wildcats bring the kind of challenge that can expose what still needs sorting out before the Tigers get deeper into the season. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Latest Commitment Signals A Bigger Fix Up Front
Auburns offensive line issues have been impossible to ignore this season, with the struggles showing up both in the rushing game and in the amount of protection the quarterback has gotten. So when Alex Golesh and his staff started building the 2027 class, the emphasis up front made sense, and the Tigers have already added five new offensive linemen as part of that effort.
The latest piece of that approach is four-star interior lineman Jatori Williams, a commitment that fits the broader push to stabilize the trenches for future seasons. Auburn has also brought in running backs Myson Johnson-Cook and Khamoni Williams, but the line remains the clearest priority, and the staffs early work suggests it knows the fix has to start there. [Read more 🡒]