Auburn Basketball: 2024-25 season preview for the Tigers

Key Reserves

Guard – Tahaad Pettiford (Freshman)

Pettiford is a talented 4-star point guard out of New Jersey who should be the most exciting freshman addition to this squad. He’s a quick, attacking guard who can not only run the offense but plays brilliantly on the defensive end as well. He’s a little undersized, but he could be in line for vital backup minutes right out of the gate as a true freshman.

Forward – Jahki Howard (Freshman)

A 4-star small forward from Atlanta, Howard comes to the Tigers via Overtime Elite and could be a sneaky good weapon for this program. He may need time for his game to grow and mature, but he rates as an explosive athlete who can affect the game on all different levels, as a scorer, rebounder, and shot blocker.

Forward – Chris Moore (Senior)

This will be Moore’s fifth and final season at Auburn and last year was certainly his most productive in a Tigers uniform. He started most of the games for the Tigers, though he averaged just 2.5 points and 1.8 rebounds, playing more backup minutes in this system. He provides experience and depth in this frontcourt even if he was passed over by Baker-Mazara late last season.

Forward – Ja’Heim Hudson (Senior)

Hudson makes his way to Auburn after two seasons at Georgia State and a brief stay at SMU. Brilliant as a sophomore in the Sun Belt, his production was fine in his lone year with the Mustangs, putting up 5.4 points and 3.4 rebounds. He was a bench piece last season and likely will have the same level of production and role here with the Tigers.

Forward – Chaney Johnson (Senior)

After three stellar years at Alabama-Huntsville, Johnson transferred up to D1 with the Tigers last season. He provided valuable minutes off the bench as a stretch 4, averaging 4.7 points and 3.4 rebounds in about 15 minutes per game. With a year of Auburn basketball under his belt, he may be in line for more minutes. If he’s productive, he could become the first forward off the bench this season.

Center – Dylan Cardwell (Senior)

Another fifth-year player for the Tigers, Cardwell reaches the final lap in his long collegiate career, looking to maintain his hold as the backup center. The 6’11 big man from Augusta put up 5.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game last season in his most productive campaign. He’s made 72% of his field goal attempts in his career and also blocked 1.6 shots per contest; the Tigers don’t miss too much defensively when he’s on the court.