Yaxel Lendeborg, a six-foot-nine behemoth, produced the biggest shock of the day as he decided to withdraw from the draft and officially commit to the University of Michigan. Dusty May and his staff have already put together an impeccable transfer portal, which includes Elliot Cadeau and Aday Mara. With Danny Wolf fully committing to the transfer process, Coach May gets another year with a physical specimen leading the charge of his team.
With just minutes left on the clock, the University of Alabama produced another big moment in the clutch. In just the past year, the Crimson Tide witnessed Mark Sears’ buzzer-beater and Isiah Bond’s game-winning touchdown against Auburn. Yet their biggest game winner came two days ago with Labaron Philon withdrawing from the draft and returning to Alabama.
Philon now completes a Bama backcourt that includes Jalil Betha and Aden Holloway. Nate Oats will have a heavy reliance on this backcourt, with Philon having the highest scoring upside.
Unfortunately for the Crimson Tide, the biggest winner of deadline day came a couple of hours away from them at Auburn University.
Tahaad Pettiford announced his return, giving Bruce Pearl and the university as a whole a massive sigh of relief.
If Pettiford were to remain in the draft process, the entire 2024-25 roster would have left to pursue new chapters in their basketball careers. The Tigers now return the most exciting player from that roster.
Johni Broome was undoubtedly the best player on that roster. However, Pettiford and his style of play were undoubtedly the most exciting. When Auburn went on a cold spell offensively, their sixth man came into the game and provided that boost. Pettiford was a killer on the offensive side of the ball last season, whether it was attacking the rim or pulling up from deep.
Pettiford averaged 11.6 points per game on 42.1% shooting from the field and 36.6% from beyond the arc. He will be the focal point of the 2025-26 team, which includes transfers Keyshawn Hall and KeShawn Murphy.
One word to describe the 2024-25 Auburn Tigers is elite. It is now up to Pettiford to keep the Tigers on their feet.