Pettiford returning to Auburn after testing draft

Auburn defender Tahaad Pettiford volition retreat from the 2025 NBA draught and instrumentality to the Tigers for his sophomore season, helium told ESPN connected Wednesday.

"I was blessed to spell done the process, getting feedback from NBA teams," Pettiford told ESPN. "Going backmost to Auburn is simply a amended concern for me. I spot myself being a higher prime adjacent year. It wasn't 100% this year, truthful I didn't privation to instrumentality that chance.

"Being a abbreviated guard, it won't beryllium casual to play successful the league, but I cognize I tin bash it. It's possibly not the close time."

Pettiford, who was the No. 35 imaginable successful ESPN's NBA draught rankings, had a beardown showing astatine the draught combine, including a 23-point, 8-assist, 2-steal show successful the opening scrimmage. He drew important involvement from teams picking successful the archetypal round, conducting six idiosyncratic workouts with teams, and volition participate adjacent play arsenic a projected first-round prime successful the 2026 draft.

The 6-foot-1 defender yet elected to instrumentality to the certainty of a starring relation for an Auburn squad that made the Final Four past season. He averaged 11.6 points and 3.0 assists successful 22.9 minutes per crippled and earned a spot connected the SEC's All-Freshman Team.

"I program connected putting each the tools that teams told maine to enactment connected unneurotic and get amended overall," Pettiford said. "Going backmost to Auburn and trying to triumph different championship, bash what we did this year."

Pettiford, 19, ranked archetypal connected the Tigers successful assists and 3rd successful scoring, contempt finishing sixth successful minutes played, which helped him carve retired a beardown relation connected a deep, seasoned squad that started 5 players ages 22 to 25.

Pettiford's late-game heroics coming disconnected the seat helped propel Auburn to the No. 1 wide effect successful the NCAA tournament. He past posted 23 points against Creighton successful the 2nd circular and 20 points versus Michigan successful the Sweet 16.

After losing the full roster extracurricular of Pettiford to graduation oregon the transportation portal, Auburn volition look importantly antithetic adjacent season. But the Tigers person reeled successful respective cardinal signings that should person manager Bruce Pearl's squad close backmost successful the premix for SEC title contention.

UCF powerfulness guardant Keyshawn Hall, Mississippi State large antheral KeShawn Murphy, Texas Tech helping Kevin Overton, Division II helping transportation Elyjah Freeman and juco guardant Abdul Bashir volition each apt beryllium cardinal rotational pieces, successful summation to top-50 precocious schoolhouse recruits Kaden Magwood and Sebastian Williams-Adams.

Also connected Wednesday, Pearl received a committedness from Filip Jovic of Mega SuperBet successful the Adriatic League. The 6-9 Serbian large antheral posted 12.2 points and 3.9 rebounds successful 22 minutes per crippled this play and volition bring an experienced, carnal beingness that should let him to marque an contiguous publication successful the SEC.

The NCAA deadline for players to retreat from the NBA draught and support assemblage eligibility is 11:59 p.m. ET. Wednesday.

Jonathan Givony is an NBA draught adept and the laminitis and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a backstage scouting and analytics work utilized by NBA, NCAA and planetary teams.