AUBURN, Ala. – Junior Tahaad Pettiford has been named to the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Top 20 Preseason Watch List by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Pettiford is one of 20 players nationally on the watch list and one of eight players from the SEC named to the list.
Coming off a sophomore season in which he averaged 15.4 points and 3.8 assists per game, Pettiford looks to take another step in his third season on the Plains in leading the Tigers back to the NCAA Tournament following last year’s NIT Championship.
Pettiford tallied 20 or more points 13 times last year and also had five or more assists in 14 games. In just two seasons, he has already compiled 1,025 career points and 258 career assists.
The Jersey City, N.J. native established new career highs in points (30 vs. Arizona), rebounds (6 vs. Mississippi State), assists (9 vs. Queens), steals (4 vs. Alabama) and blocks (4 vs. NC State) during his sophomore campaign.
Pettiford joins a list of preseason honorees which also includes: Markus Burton (Indiana), Elliot Cadeau (Michigan), Jason Crowe Jr. (Missouri), Silas DeMary Jr. (UConn), Donovan Dent (LSU), Quinn Ellis (St. John’s), Jeremy Fears Jr. (Michigan State), Boogie Fland (Florida), Aden Holloway (Alabama), Josh Hubbard (Mississippi State), Nigel James Jr. (Marquette), Acaden Lewis (Miami), Chance Mallory (Virginia), Miles Sadler (West Virginia), Jackson Shelstad (Louisville), Jordan Smith Jr. (Arkansas), Tyler Tanner (Vanderbilt), Dedan Thomas Jr. (Houston) and Tobert Wright III (BYU).
The Tigers host their final exhibition game of the preseason this Thursday vs. Samford at 7 p.m. and then open the regular season at home against Southeastern Louisiana on Monday, Nov. 4.