In early January, the Auburn Tigers men’s basketball team climbed to the top of the AP Top 25 Poll and held that position for eight straight weeks. Under the guidance of head coach Bruce Pearl and standout players Johni Broome and freshman phenom Tahaad Pettiford, Auburn achieved a school-record 32 wins. However, their postseason run came up short as fatigue set in, leading to a 79-73 loss to conference rival Florida in the Final Four. Pearl still has plenty of offensive firepower to work with as he aims to lead Auburn to its first national championship in the program’s 119-year history.
Moving forward, the Tigers may have to do so without Broome and likely Pettiford orchestrating the offense. Broome, a sixth-year senior, is heading to the professional ranks, while Pettiford — one of the top freshmen in the country — is expected to enter the NBA Draft. According to James Fletcher III of On3, Pettiford is projected as a mid-to-late second-round pick and is currently slotted to go 46th overall to the Orlando Magic in Fletcher’s latest mock draft.
If that happens, he’d join forces with NBA standout Paolo Banchero, who’s averaging 25.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists this season. Pettiford contributed 11.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game for Auburn, shooting 42% overall and 37% from beyond the arc. He stepped up during March Madness, averaging 15.2 points over five tournament games. Pettiford recently declared for the NBA Draft while retaining his college eligibility and has until mid-June to make a final decision.