Auburn basketball star freshman Tahaad Pettiford was built for March Madness

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Auburn’s Dylan Cardwell sat in front of his locker, game-worn uniform still on. He shook his head and shrugged, his mind searching for something more sophisticated, less uncouth. But it’s no use.

“Two words: big balls,” Cardwell said, sheepishly. “He’s just special. There’s nothing he can’t do.”

Cardwell was talking about teammate Tahaad Pettiford minutes after the freshman point guard scored 20 points in a Sweet 16 win over Michigan. Fifteen of those points came in the second half, Pettiford sparking a 20-2 run that erased a nine-point deficit and carried the Tigers to the Elite Eight.

It all flowed from Pettiford’s blend of poise and flair, the 6-foot-1, 19-year-old playing well beyond his size and years. There was a tide-turning 3-pointer off a broken play, a stepback jumper and a silky driving layup. By the time he drilled a spinning, Kobe-esque fadeaway for a bucket and the foul with less than five minutes remaining, the rout was on.

PETTIFORD AGAIN ARE YOU KIDDING 😱#MarchMadness @AuburnMBB pic.twitter.com/ssmxCq4hot

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 29, 2025

Less than 48 hours later, Pettiford added 10 points and three assists to Johni Broome’s masterclass against Michigan State, helping the top-seeded Tigers to their second Final Four appearance in program history.

“Not too many freshmen are built like him,” teammate Denver Jones said. “Some people just got it. Tahaad got it.”

Auburn’s ongoing NCAA Tournament run caps a stellar first season for Pettiford, third on the team in scoring (11.7 points) and tied for first in assists (2.9) despite coming off the bench. A five-star, top-30 recruit and McDonald’s All-American in the 2024 class, Pettiford wasn’t exactly under the radar as a prospect. But he has outperformed many of those rated in front of him.

“There aren’t 25 freshmen in college this year that are better than Tahaad Pettiford,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “But he’s got a chip on his shoulder. He’s a little guy, and every time he goes out there to prove it.”

He always has. Growing up in Jersey City, N.J., Tahaad played against older players, thanks to his father, Travis.

“You gotta go against bigger and faster players,” Travis said. “I figured if he played up, played hard, the game would get easier as he got older.”

Dad’s mentality set the tone, one molded during his playing days at New Jersey’s St. Anthony High under legendary coach Bob Hurley, father of Danny and Bobby Hurley. Travis learned the value of being coachable, influencing everything from the underdog attitude his son plays with to the hand he shoots with.

“I’m right-handed, actually,” the younger Pettiford said. “A lot of people don’t know that.”

A southpaw on the court, Pettiford writes and does most menial tasks with his right hand. But around age 6, Travis thought his son’s jump shot looked more natural as a lefty. So he encouraged him to stick with it.

“Being able to get downhill both ways, finish with both hands, it’s helped my game a lot,” Pettiford said.

He came up on the crowded courts of Jersey City and played with and against future five stars Dylan Harper and Elliot Cadeau. As a freshman at Hudson Catholic Regional High, Pettiford outdueled Harper and Don Bosco Preparatory High, scoring a game-high 40 points in a triple-overtime win. Last year as a senior, Pettiford scored 42 points and hit a pair of buzzer-beaters against Roselle Catholic — one to tie the game in regulation, the other to win it in double overtime.

“The game comes very easy to him. Tahaad has unbelievable court vision, things you cannot teach, seeing things seconds before a play develops,” said Nick Mariniello, who coached him at Hudson Catholic. “He’s very, very tough, but he plays the game with a smile on his face. He enjoys the moment.”

It followed him to Auburn, which Pettiford chose over a list of finalists that included UConn, despite the family ties to Danny Hurley.

“They gonna kill me, but he picked Auburn,” joked Travis, standing on a confetti-dusted court after the Tigers’ Elite Eight win Sunday. “He chose his path. Auburn is his home.”

Pettiford has logged his best performances on big stages this season. He put up 21 points in an early win over Houston, a resounding statement one day after the team’s now-infamous plane incident. Then 14 points in a win over Iowa State, 20 in a close loss at Duke and 18 more against Purdue. In SEC play, he had a season-high 24 in a road win against Georgia, 21 in a victory at Kentucky and 19 in an overtime loss to Alabama.

He did it all as the sixth man on arguably the best team in the country, starting just one game that Jones missed due to injury. On a deep, veteran squad with a clear alpha in Broome, the SEC player of the year, Pettiford carved out and embraced his role without overextending. That’s a tough needle to thread — a much-hyped freshman who sacrifices for the good of the team, yet still manages to elevate in big moments. Pettiford embraced the challenge.

“He wasn’t quiet, you know what I’m saying? He’s from Jersey, so he has a little different type of energy to him,” Broome said. “But he came in wanting to learn, wanting to compete and wanting to join what we built. Every night he steps on the court, he’s trying to make an impact for us to win.”

That reputation is cresting in the NCAA Tournament, where Pettiford scored a game-high 23 points in the second-round win over Creighton to go with six boards and three assists. His second half fueled the Sweet 16 comeback over Michigan, and his 10 points against Michigan State made him the only Auburn player other than Broome to score in double figures.

“His mindset is to win. Some freshmen don’t always do that — they try to stand out,” Jones said. “But Tahaad’s game is gonna stand out regardless. So by coming in and fitting in, his game is standing out.”

Pettiford’s ascension, particularly these past few weeks, has commanded added attention from NBA scouts. But up first is a trip to San Antonio, where the Tigers will face SEC foe and fellow No. 1 seed Florida on Saturday with a spot in the title game at stake. If Auburn is going to get there, with a chance to win the school’s first national championship in men’s basketball, its emergent freshman may have to come up clutch once again.

“I just think that Tahaad feels prepared,” Pearl said. “He’s been playing guys older than him his whole life. So what’s the difference in the NCAA Tournament?”

And if everything is indeed bigger in Texas, Pettiford should fit right in.

(Photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

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