The Auburn Tigers have been arguably one of the best crew in faculty 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 they usually haven’t regarded again since, going a formidable 13-1 in convention play with the lone loss being a single-digit recreation towards the No. 3 Florida Gators.
Wanting 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 robust case for the Wood Award this season.
However, Auburn’s whole 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 stage.
Auburn’s beginning 5 has been one of many top-performing lineups in faculty basketball when contemplating effectivity metrics, however they’ve additionally relied closely on their depth to be such a high-functioning crew.
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 prime 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 crew.
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 strategy to constantly put the ball within the basket.
Pettiford is third on the crew averaging 11 factors per recreation in simply 21.3 minutes of motion, whereas capturing over 37 % from three. In a manner, he’s been the consistency that Auburn has wanted with its second unit to be one of many prime groups in faculty basketball this season.
Regardless of being a freshman, Pettiford has had a knack for enjoying nicely whereas the lights shine brilliant, most lately placing in 13 factors on 50 % 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 below 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 prime faculty 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.
Nevertheless, over the course of the season, the guard has been among the finest surprises in faculty basketball, finishing this elite Auburn crew that’s now surrounded by expertise of their beginning lineup and off the bench.
In terms of March, depth is extraordinarily necessary 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 robust contributions from Pettiford, who very nicely may very well be the X-Issue to Auburn’s March Insanity run.
