‘Fearless’: Auburn’s Tahaad Pettiford embraces his March moment

SAN ANTONIO – Throughout Auburn’s NCAA Tournament run, Tahaad Pettiford has shown he’s not afraid of the big moment. Time and time again, the freshman has delivered in March. 

It’s been that way since Pettiford first arrived on campus less than a year ago. 

“When he came that first week, he came in fearless,” teammate Chad Baker-Mazara said. “He came in trying Johni (Broome) that first week. Nothing disprectful. But he was basically saying, ‘I’m going to show the top dog who I am.’ He came in pumping his stuff. I respect that. He backed down from nobody.” 

“I was just trying to prove I belong,” Pettiford recalled. “As a freshman, you have to prove to everybody that you belong there. I knew coming to such a great team with great players I would have to do it early. If not, I wouldn’t have gotten the respect I have now.”

Pettiford has been trying to prove he belongs his whole life. He was a five-star recruit coming out of high school, making a name for himself at Hudson Catholic Regional High School in New Jersey, but he grew up playing against older kids. He was always smaller and typically the youngest guy on the court. 

“I didn’t like getting pushed around when I was younger, and I told myself I didn’t want that happening,” he said. 

Pettiford has carried that chip on his shoulder with him to Auburn and proven himself as one of the best freshmen in college basketball. In just the second game of the season, he scored 21 points to lead the Tigers past Houston, another one of the Final Four teams in San Antonio this weekend. 

“That Houston game is when I realized I belong here,” he said. 

In 37 games, Pettiford is second on the team averaging 11.7 points per game. He has scored 15 or more points in 12 games, including six of Auburn’s last nine games. And he’s done it all coming off the bench for the Tigers. He’s only started one game. 

“I suppose some would sort of expect that to be a problem,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. “Great player, one of our best players, and yet, only started one game because Denver (Jones) was injured. And not a word. Not a body language, shoulder shrug, eye roll ever from Tahaad.”

For Pettiford, winning was more important than a starting role. 

“I don’t see the reason to complain,” he said. “Obviously, I’m on a winning team with such great guys, older guys, guys more experienced. Coming in as a freshman, of course you want to start. Every kid wants to start. But it’s about what you want to do and how you want to do it. I wanted to win, and that’s why I came here. 

“Me and BP had a conversation about how me coming off the bench was going to be helpful. I told him whatever I could do to help, I was willing to do.”

It’s worked out for both Pettiford and Auburn. Pettiford is making a name for himself in March Madness, and the Tigers are two wins away from winning a national championship. 

In four NCAA Tournament games, the dynamic freshman is averaging 17.3 points per game. He scored 23 points in the Round of 32 win over Creighton and then followed that up with 20 points while igniting the second-half comeback against Michigan in the Sweet 16. 

“It’s really special,” Pettiford said. “Just being able to advance, being able to win with this team. Everybody wants the season to be prolonged. It just shows all the hard work we’ve put in. It’s honestly just a dream come true. As a freshman, you don’t know what to expect coming in, but being on such a great team and having these guys around me, we don’t want it to end.”

Pettiford will make his Final Four debut Saturday when Auburn plays Florida in the first semifinal game. The noise, the stage, the moment – it doesn’t get any bigger than the Final Four. But he's been preparing his whole life for this type of game. The brighter the lights, the better he plays. 

“He’s been unbelievable, one of the best freshmen in college basketball this year,” Pearl said. “You look at him and Cooper Flagg and maybe a couple others. Who’s had greater impact on the success of their team than those two guys? He’ll be overlooked in the Final Four again, but he has the opportunity to prove that he’s pretty special.” 

 

“Being on the court is going to be an amazing feeling.”

In four NCAAT games, @tahaadpettiford is averaging 17.3 points per game.

That old-school “Petti-float” could be 🔑 for @AuburnMBB on Semifinal Saturday.#WarEagle I #FinalFour pic.twitter.com/JYGdcYDy32

— Jeff Shearer (@jeff_shearer) April 5, 2025