The Auburn Tigers are looking to improve from their disappointing showing last season, in which the team missed out on the NCAA Tournament and settled for the NIT, and one key player could make all the difference in that improvement: Tahaad Pettiford.

The junior, who has been with the Tigers since their Final Four run in 2024, is entering his third season on the Plains and is already netting awards despite the Tigers’ 0-2 preseason start. On Thursday, it was announced that Pettiford had been voted to the All-SEC Third Team.

This is, notably, a step back for Pettiford year-over-year, as he was listed as an All-SEC First Teamer ahead of last season, though the Tigers were, as mentioned, coming off their Final Four run, which likely gave Pettiford much more merit in the eyes of the voters than an NIT run did this past season.

Regardless of the season’s outcome, though, Pettiford has consistently been one of the Tigers’ top producers over his two seasons with the program, as over the course of his career, he’s averaged 13.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. 

A lot has changed for Pettiford over the course of those two seasons, though. The Tigers’ point guard started his career as a sixth man for Bruce Pearl’s final squad in 2024, averaging just 22.9 minutes per game and acting as more of a quick-scoring threat than a true facilitator.

However, in 2025, Pearl retired and left the reins to his son Steven, who quickly began utilizing Pettiford as a starter, running the Tigers’ offense through a combination of Pettiford, Kevin Overton and Keyshawn Hall, the latter of whom transferred to St. John’s after the season.

Pettiford has been solid through his first two preseason games, despite the losses, averaging 15.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists to start his season, though those numbers are subject to change following the Tigers’ Thursday night preseason finale against Samford. 

The junior will surely be looking to prove he deserves a higher spot on the SEC’s list by the end of the season, especially after missing out on a mention entirely at the end of the 2025-26 season. A strong showing against Samford would be a great start, but he’ll need to build and maintain consistent production if he’s looking to boost his NBA Draft stock ahead of the 2027 draft.