Auburn’s Tahaad Pettiford facing DUI charge

Field Level Media

Auburn guard Tahaad Pettiford was arrested Friday night on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol, according to police records in Lee County, Ala.

Pettiford, 19, is under the legal drinking age so any blood-alcohol level greater than 0.02 percent is considered illegal in Alabama. His BAC was not reported. He posted a bond of $1,000.

“We are aware of the situation, and we will handle it internally with Tahaad and his family,” Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl said in a statement Saturday morning, according to the Montgomery Advertiser. “We take these matters seriously and will learn and grow from it moving forward.”

A blue-chip recruit from Jersey City, N.J., and a freshman sixth man on the Tigers’ Final Four team last season, Pettiford averaged 11.6 points, 3.0 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 22.9 minutes in 38 games (one start).

He made the Southeastern Conference’s All-Freshman team and earned a spot on the NCAA Tournament’s All-Region team after averaging 15.2 points in five tourney games. He was held to seven points on 1-of-6 shooting in Auburn’s loss to eventual champion Florida in the Final Four.

Pettiford tested the NBA draft waters after the season and participated in the NBA Combine in Chicago, where his 42-inch vertical leap was the second-best at the event.

According to CBS Sports, he returned to Auburn for his sophomore year with an NIL package believed to be worth more than $2 million.

Pettiford was a five-star prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, ranked No. 29 nationally and No. 2 among point guards by the 247Sports composite.