Auburn Tigers' Tahaad Pettiford withdraws from the 2025 NBA Draft. Here's why

In just his freshman year, Tahaad Pettiford rose to stardom for the Auburn Tigers basketball program as one of the best in his class in the country.

Updated on: May 29, 2025, 24:54:32 IST

By HT News Desk

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The Auburn Tigers' basketball star Tahaad Pettiford withdrew from the NBA draft process on Wednesday, the program announced.

In just his freshman year, Tahaad Pettiford rose to stardom as one of the best in his class in the country. He was the Auburn basketball program's third-leading scorer in the season that concluded last month. He averaged 11.6 points and 3.0 assists per game for the Tigers.

Tahaad Pettiford was vital for the Tigers' run to the Final Four a few months ago, averaging 17.3 points between the Round of 64 and the Elite Eight. He scored 23 and 20 points, respectively, in Auburn's NCAA Tournament wins over Creighton and Michigan.

Here is why Tahaad Pettiford withdrew from the 2025 NBA Draft

Tahaad Pettiford withdrew from the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft to return to Auburn basketball for his sophomore season, according to the Tigers. He was projected to be a first-round pick in the NBA Draft this year.

Pettiford also announced his return to Auburn and, in turn, his withdrawal from the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday through an Instagram post. In the post, Pettiford uploaded a graphic with “I'm back” written on it.

"Heard they wanted to run it back at Neville?" Pettiford wrote in the caption. The Instagram post also included a highlight video from Pettiford's first season with Auburn.

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A post shared by tahaad pettiford (@haad.0)

Auburn Basketball head coach Bruce Pearl would be relieved to have one of his key players back for the next season. He had already outlined Pettiford's role in the team even before the decision to return was announced.

"If he does come back, he's going to have to play an expanded role, which I know is something that is exciting to him and probably exciting to our fan base, too, because we'll get to see more of him. He'll be a starter. There will be more on him," Pearl had said on May 19.

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HT News Desk
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