The Auburn Tigers have been arguably one of the best workforce in school basketball this season, holding the No. 1 spot within the AP Prime 25 for the final seven weeks as they’ve gone 25-2 within the loaded SEC.
Auburn’s 12 months began off with a marquee 74-69 victory over the Houston Cougars again in recreation No. 2 of the season and so they haven’t regarded again since, going a powerful 13-1 in convention play with the lone loss being a single-digit recreation in opposition to the No. 3 Florida Gators.
Trying on the Tigers roster, they’ve an All-American-caliber participant in ahead Johni Broome, who has averaged 18.6 factors, 11.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and a couple of.6 blocks per recreation, making a powerful case for the Picket Award this season.
However, Auburn’s total rotation is loaded, as they’ve six gamers averaging over 10 factors per recreation, with the forwards being extremely environment friendly contained in the arc, whereas the guards every can shoot the three-ball at a excessive degree.
Auburn’s beginning 5 has been one of many top-performing lineups in school basketball when contemplating effectivity metrics, however they’ve additionally relied closely on their depth to be such a high-functioning workforce.
Listed here are the highest performing lineups in CBB this 12 months at https://t.co/cegyfz96ax, adjusted for opponent energy (min 200 possessions):
Clemson’s new beginning lineup has been one of the best group within the nation by a very good margin. Houston, Duke, Purdue, and Auburn additionally within the high 5. pic.twitter.com/ytg0Q55Cuh
— Evan Miyakawa (@EvanMiya) February 21, 2025
A key a part of that depth? True freshman Tahaad Pettiford, who has impressed the Tigers teaching workers from the offseason and carved out a key function on a veteran-laden workforce.
Coming off the bench, Pettiford had a fast introduction to the world of school basketball, as he shined in Auburn’s early-season win over Houston, serving because the X-Issue with 21 factors and 5 threes as a prompt the bench.
From there, he’s solidified his function as Auburn’s sixth man, discovering a option to persistently put the ball within the basket.
Pettiford is third on the workforce averaging 11 factors per recreation in simply 21.3 minutes of motion, whereas taking pictures over 37 p.c from three. In a method, he’s been the consistency that Auburn has wanted with its second unit to be one of many high groups in school basketball this season.
Regardless of being a freshman, Pettiford has had a knack for enjoying properly whereas the lights shine brilliant, most just lately placing in 13 factors on 50 p.c from the sphere in Auburn’s 94-85 win over Alabama on the highway.
With the sport tied at 65 a chunk with just below eight minutes to go, Pettiford began Auburn’s rally with an enormous three-pointer, because the Tigers by no means trailed from that time on.
The guard continued to make an influence late within the second half, getting a pair of layups to go minutes later earlier than hitting two clutch free throws with beneath two minutes to go to fend off the Crimson Tide.
“Tahaad is a fearless basketball participant and that’s a very good shot for him,” Auburn assistant coach Steve Pearl mentioned final week on an look on “The Subsequent Spherical” present. “As quickly as he shot it, we had all the boldness on the earth that he was gonna knock it down.”
Pettiford has his rougher moments, as all high school basketball gamers do, as seen in Auburn’s 82-70 win over Georgia the place he was held to only two factors on 0-for-7 from the sphere.
Nonetheless, over the course of the season, the guard has been top-of-the-line surprises in school basketball, finishing this elite Auburn workforce that’s now surrounded by expertise of their beginning lineup and off the bench.
In relation to March, depth is extraordinarily essential with the tempo of the match, which is why Auburn has a very good shot of creating a deep run within the postseason.
To take action although, they’re going to proceed needing sturdy contributions from Pettiford, who very properly might be the X-Issue to Auburn’s March Insanity run.
