1 week Ago By JUSTIN LEE [email protected]
The “no-look” pass is one thing. Then there’s the “never-look.” Tahaad Pettiford pulled it out of his bag of tricks Wednesday.
He’s certainly got some stuff. And some sauce. Early in the game as Auburn built its big first-half lead over Kent State, the five-star freshman dribbled it up in transition to near the top of the key.
He looked to his right, to sharpshooter Miles Kelly, who was getting to his 3-point spot on the wing. Pettiford locked eyes with Kelly, then in a blink sent the ball upcourt, not to Kelly, not to the right, but ahead up the key to a slashing Chaney Johnson in the paint. As Johnson gathered the assist and jumped to throw down a thunderous dunk, Pettiford’s eyes never left Kelly, pointing to him to celebrate the score and reaching out to him for the high-five — before Johnson had even finished the dunk.
Pettiford had full confidence in Johnson to finish the play. And it’s clear Pettiford has plenty confidence in himself, too. The fearless Southpaw shooter from New Jersey scored nine points in that game with four assists — which followed his big coming out party, the 21-point performance in the top-10 win over then-No.
4 Houston. “He knows he’s as good as the best freshmen in the country,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said flatly, earlier this week. “And, obviously, he got a chance to show it on that stage and in that moment.
” Pearl spoke on a quiet afternoon between the Houston game and Kent State game, in the media room under a silent Neville Arena — almost 1,000 miles away from Pettiford’s hometown of Jersey City up the eastern seaboard. Of course, Pearl’s comments came with some caveats: He’s a freshman, after all, so expect his production to go up and down, he said. There’s a lot of work left for him to do, he said.
He joked about keeping all that confidence in check and keeping his head on straight. But he figures he’ll be just fine in that regard, because Pearl said up in Jersey City, Pettiford has a great family that has given him a great foundation. He said Pettiford, while considered an elite prospect when he hooped there, was overlooked oftentimes in favor of some of his rivals with bigger size on the circuit — but he said: “That never bothered Tahaad.
” Lee: “This one might just end up being the most memorable. What a game. What a night for Tahaad Pettiford.
” Instead, he seems perfectly content to show his stuff on the floor — and confident his talents will shine through. “He’s a special player,” Auburn senior star Johni Broome said of Pettiford. “He’s very electric.
He has that spark energy. He can make big shots, he’s not scared of the moment. He’s a good asset to the team as far as what we need to do to win championships.
” All of that was on display against Houston, including the potential to win championships. While Auburn trailed in the second half, it was Pettiford unfazed hitting shot after shot the put the Tigers back ahead. Now the big game is under his belt.
What’s next? More work and more of the same. “He’s really coachable,” Pearl said. “He’s been a great teammate.
He wants to get better. “He’s definitely got work to do,” he added. “But, boy, oh boy.
If he can see it, he can make it. That ball wasn’t even touching the net. That’s how that thing was going through the cylinder.
He’s got to build on it.” Fans in “The Jungle” student section raise their arms during an Auburn free-throw attempt in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game between Auburn and Kent State at Neville Arena in Auburn on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024.
Auburn’s Dylan Cardwell (44) celebrates after forcing a turnover in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game between Auburn and Kent State at Neville Arena in Auburn on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. Auburn’s Miles Kelly (13) celebrates after a three-pointer in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game between Auburn and Kent State at Neville Arena in Auburn on Wednesday, Nov.
13, 2024. Auburn's JP Pegues (1) defends a shot from Kent State's Morgan Safford (8) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at Neville Arena in Auburn on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024.
Auburn’s Chaney Johnson (31) dunks in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game between Auburn and Kent State at Neville Arena in Auburn on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. Auburn’s Chaney Johnson (31) shoots a three-pointer in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game between Auburn and Kent State at Neville Arena in Auburn on Wednesday, Nov.
13, 2024. Auburn's JP Pegues (1) directs a teammate from midcourt in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game between Auburn and Kent State at Neville Arena in Auburn on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024.
Auburn's Denver Jones (2) works on offense in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game between Auburn and Kent State at Neville Arena in Auburn on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. Auburn’s Chaney Johnson (31) dunks in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game between Auburn and Kent State at Neville Arena in Auburn on Wednesday, Nov.
13, 2024. Auburn's Chris Moore (5) shoots in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game between Auburn and Kent State at Neville Arena in Auburn on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024.
Auburn’s Chad Baker-Mazara (10) dunks in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game between Auburn and Kent State at Neville Arena in Auburn on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. Auburn’s Chad Baker-Mazara (10) celebrates with Denver Jones (2) after a dunk in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game between Auburn and Kent State at Neville Arena in Auburn on Wednesday, Nov.
13, 2024. The Tiger Paws perform at midcourt during a timeout in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game between Auburn and Kent State at Neville Arena in Auburn on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024.
Auburn’s Chaney Johnson (31) dunks in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game between Auburn and Kent State at Neville Arena in Auburn on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. Auburn's Johni Broome (4) shoots in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game between Auburn and Kent State at Neville Arena in Auburn on Wednesday, Nov.
13, 2024. Auburn's Denver Jones (2) shoots in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game between Auburn and Kent State at Neville Arena in Auburn on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024.
Auburn’s Tahaad Pettiford (0) drives to the basket in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game between Auburn and Kent State at Neville Arena in Auburn on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl speaks to his team during a timeout in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game between Auburn and Kent State at Neville Arena in Auburn on Wednesday, Nov.
13, 2024. Auburn cheerleaders perform on the court during a timeout in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game between Auburn and Kent State at Neville Arena in Auburn on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024.
Auburn's Johni Broome (4) blocks a shot from Kent State's Morgan Safford (8) in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at Neville Arena in Auburn on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. Auburn’s Chaney Johnson (31) dunks in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game between Auburn and Kent State at Neville Arena in Auburn on Wednesday, Nov.
13, 2024. Auburn’s Miles Kelly (13) defends a shot from Kent State's Anthony Morales (22) in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at Neville Arena in Auburn on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024.
Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl directs his team from the bench during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game between Auburn and Kent State at Neville Arena in Auburn on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. Auburn's Johni Broome (4) shoots in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game between Auburn and Kent State at Neville Arena in Auburn on Wednesday, Nov.
13, 2024. Auburn's Johni Broome (4) celebrates after scoring in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game between Auburn and Kent State at Neville Arena in Auburn on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024.
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