5. Tahaad Pettiford (Auburn)
There’s something special brewing in Auburn this season, with the Tigers sitting #1 in the country and looking the part. Bruce Pearl’s impact on this program as a whole has been otherworldly, both in building culture and bringing talent to Auburn. Pettiford certainly looks like the latest in a line of brilliant guards, as the 4-star talent from New Jersey has already played a major role in Auburn’s schedule early in his collegiate career.
Pettiford’s play is only getting better as he’s averaging 12.0 points and 2.7 assists per game, including a nearly 44% clip from outside the arc. He’s not a starter for a Tigers team deep with talent on both sides of the ball, but Pettiford shows up when needed most. He scored 21 points in that upset in Houston in the first week of the season and dropped 20 points in Auburn’s only loss of the season at Duke a few weeks later. Currently without star center Johni Broome, Auburn survived at Georgia last weekend thanks to 24 points from Pettiford, including 5 for 7 from outside the arc.
When the lights are the brightest, Pettiford looks nothing like a freshman, even dropping 18 against Purdue last month in another classic performance. He’s not a starter and it wasn’t expected that he’d play such an important role, but he’s Auburn’s best long-range shooting and makes an impact when he’s on the floor. Auburn is on track for a top-seed in the Big Dance and could allow Pettiford to really shine while playing on the nation’s biggest stage.