An Auburn Tigers basketball star has gotten himself into some trouble with the law.
Auburn guard Tahaad Pettiford was arrested early Saturday morning on a DUI charge, Myron Medcalf of ESPN reported. Pettiford got arrested in Lee County, Ala. and was released from jail by midday, Medcalf adds.
“We are aware of the situation, and we will handle it internally with Tahaad and his family,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said in a statement sent to ESPN. “We take these matters seriously and will learn and grow from it moving forward.”
The 19-year-old Pettiford was a standout as a freshman last season for the Tigers. His 11.6 points and 3.0 assists per game helped Auburn to a 32-6 record and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament (where they eventually made it all the way to the Final Four).
Pettiford originally entered the 2025 NBA Draft but ended up withdrawing from the draft in order to return for his sophomore season with the Tigers. He is projected to be a potential first-round pick in 2026 and has even been mentioned as a possible SEC Player of the Year candidate for next season.
With Johni Broome now in the NBA (going to the Philadelphia 76ers with a second-round pick this year), Pettiford has a good shot at being Auburn’s leading scorer next year, especially with fellow guard Miles Kelly having gone pro as well. Pettiford also had some memorable moments during this year’s March Madness but now has some drama to sort out in his personal life before returning to the court.
