Auburn guard Tahaad Pettiford will withdraw from the 2025 NBA draft and return to the Tigers for his sophomore season, he advised ESPN on Wednesday.
“I used to be joyful to undergo the method, getting suggestions from NBA groups,” Pettiford advised ESPN. “Going again to Auburn is a greater state of affairs for me. I see myself being a better choose subsequent 12 months. It wasn’t 100% this 12 months, so I did not need to take that probability.
“Being a brief guard, it will not be straightforward to play within the league, however I do know I can do it. It is possibly not the precise time.”
Pettiford, who was the No. 35 prospect in ESPN’s NBA draft rankings, had a robust displaying on the draft mix, together with a 23-point, 8-assist, 2-steal efficiency within the opening scrimmage. He drew vital curiosity from groups selecting within the first spherical, conducting six particular person exercises with groups, and can enter subsequent season as a projected first-round choose within the 2026 draft.
The 6-foot-1 guard in the end elected to return to the knowledge of a number one function for an Auburn staff that made the Remaining 4 final season. He averaged 11.6 factors and three.0 assists in 22.9 minutes per recreation and earned a spot on the SEC’s All-Freshman Staff.
“I plan on placing all of the instruments that groups advised me to work on collectively and get higher general,” Pettiford stated. “Going again to Auburn and making an attempt to win one other championship, do what we did this 12 months.”
Pettiford, 19, ranked first on the Tigers in assists and third in scoring, regardless of ending sixth in minutes performed, which helped him carve out a robust function on a deep, veteran squad that began 5 gamers ages 22 to 25.
Pettiford’s late-game heroics coming off the bench helped propel Auburn to the No. 1 general seed within the NCAA event. He then posted 23 factors in opposition to Creighton within the second spherical and 20 factors versus Michigan within the Candy 16.
After dropping the complete roster exterior of Pettiford to commencement or the switch portal, Auburn will look considerably completely different subsequent season. However the Tigers have reeled in a number of key signings that ought to have coach Bruce Pearl’s squad proper again within the combine for SEC championship competition.
UCF energy ahead Keyshawn Corridor, Mississippi State huge man KeShawn Murphy, Texas Tech wing Kevin Overton, Division II wing switch Elyjah Freeman and juco ahead Abdul Bashir will all possible be key rotational gamers, along with top-50 highschool recruits Kaden Magwood and Sebastian Williams-Adams.
Additionally on Wednesday, Pearl acquired a dedication from Filip Jovic of Mega SuperBet within the Adriatic League. The 6-9 Serbian huge man posted 12.2 factors and three.9 rebounds in 22 minutes per recreation this season and can convey an skilled, bodily presence that ought to permit him to make a direct contribution within the SEC.
The NCAA deadline for gamers to withdraw from the NBA draft and preserve school eligibility is 11:59 p.m. ET. Wednesday.
Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft skilled and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a personal scouting and analytics service utilized by NBA, NCAA and worldwide groups.