Auburn HC Bruce Pearl sends clear message following Tahaad Pettiford's DUI arrest

Talented Auburn Tigers guard Tahaad Pettiford led his team to the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament before declaring for the NBA draft. Pettiford participated in the combine but withdrew his name from consideration and opted to return to Auburn for an extra year of college basketball.

On Saturday, Pettiford was arrested for driving under the influence but was later released. In a statement released to ESPN on Saturday, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl revealed how the Tigers would deal with the matter.

"We are aware of the situation, and we will handle it internally with Tahaad and his family," Bruce Pearl said. "We take these matters seriously and will learn and grow from it moving forward."

After the Tigers' season ended in the Final Four, during his postgame news conference, Pearl namechecked Tahaad Pettiford for his positive attitude during the season despite not getting much gametime.

"I suppose some would just sort of expect that to be a problem," Pearl said. "Not a word. Not a body language, shoulder shrug, roll eye ever from Tahaad."

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Tahaad Pettiford apologizes for DUI arrest

After withdrawing his name from the NBA draft in May, Tahaad Pettiford returned to offseason practice with the Auburn Tigers before his arrest on Saturday.

Later that evening, he apologized for his driving under the influence arrest via a post on Instagram.

"Last night, I made a serious mistake and one that I take full responsibility for," Pettiford wrote. "My actions put myself and others at risk, and for that, I'm deeply sorry. There is no excuse. To my family, teammates, coaches and fans, I know I've let you down. I understand the disappointment and concern that this has caused, and I want you to know that I'm taking this seriously. "This is not who I am, and not who I will be. I'm committed to learning from this moment and making meaningful, positive changes in my life. I'm grateful for the support and accountability of those around me, and I will work to earn back the trust I've lost."

Star forward Johni Broome hogged all the headlines for the Tigers last season, but Pettiford averaged 11.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists last season as Auburn snagged the No. 1 seed at the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

He has been tabbed to be the SEC Player of the Year in many way-too-early predictions for next season.

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Edited by Bhargav