Auburn guard Tahaad Pettiford was arrested for driving under the influence early Saturday morning, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
The 19-year-old sophomore was booked into the Lee County Jail just after midnight and was later released on a $1,000 bond. No BAC was reported on his arrest record, but for a person under the age of 21, a blood-alcohol level above 0.02% is considered illegal in the state of Alabama.
Pettiford was poised to be the centerpiece of Auburn’s 2025-26 basketball squad after briefly testing the NBA Draft landscape. Auburn did not immediately respond to a request from AL.com for comment.
As a true freshman last season, Pettiford helped the Tigers to an SEC regular-season championship and the program’s second-ever Final Four appearance. He played in all 38 games and averaged 22.9 minutes off the bench. Pettiford provided 11.6 points, 3.0 assists, and 2.2 rebounds a night while shooting 42.1% from the field and 36.6% from 3.
A Jersey City native, Pettiford scored at least 20 points 6 times and was named to the SEC All-Freshman team.
Despite being one of Auburn’s more impactful players, Pettiford only made 1 spot start all season in place of an injured starter. Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl often praised Pettiford’s approach to his freshman season, crediting Pettiford’s upbringing during the Final Four last year.
“Great player, one of our best players, and yet only started 1 game,” Bruce Pearl said. “Not a word. Not a body language, shoulder shrug, rolled eye ever from Tahaad because if he did, his dad would slap it right out of him. Tahaad had great respect for the guys that were in front of him and they were seniors. …
“I just think it’s about being raised right, about being raised to sort of have a certain level of respect and manners for the position of a coach having to make those decisions and then a player that is not worrying about what he can’t control. So, he’s been an unbelievable — one of the best freshmen in college basketball this year. “
Pettiford was a 5-star recruit out of the 2024 class.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
