Auburn star point guard Tahaad Pettiford was arrested early Saturday morning for driving under the influence of alcohol in Alabama.
The 19-year-old Pettiford was released from the Lee County Jail on a $1,000 bond later that morning.
“We are aware of the situation, and we will handle internally with Tahaad and his family,” head coach Bruce Pearl said in a statement to AL.com. “We take these matters seriously and will learn and grow from it moving forward.”
As a true freshman last season, Pettiford helped lead Auburn to its second Final Four appearance in program history. He tested the waters before pulling out of the 2025 NBA Draft and returning to school.
Pettiford played in all 38 games for Auburn, logging an average of 22.9 minutes per game. He averaged 11.6 points, 3.0 assists, 2.2 rebound and 0.9 steals per game. He made 42.1 percent of his field-goal attempts, 36.6 percent of his 3-pointers and 80.4 percent of his free throws.
In five NCAA Tournament games, Pettiford averaged 15.2 points, 3.6 assists and 3.0 RPG. He had 16 points, five rebounds and five assists in the Tigers’ 83-63 first-round win over Alabama St.
In the Round of 32, Auburn trailed ninth-seeded Creighton at halftime. Pettiford sparked the Tigers to victory, though, by scoring a game-high 23 points on 7-of-14 makes from the field, 2-of-3 shooting from 3-point range and 7-of-8 marksmanship from the free-throw line. He added six rebounds and three assists as well.
Pettiford produced 20 points, three assists, one steal and one blocked shot in a 78-65 win over Michigan in the Sweet 16. In a 70-64 win over Michigan St. in Atlanta at the South Region finals, he had 10 points, three assists, one rebound, one steal and one blocked shot.
Pettiford had seven points, four assists, three rebounds and one steal in a 79-73 loss to Florida, the eventual national champion, in San Antonio at the Final Four.
Pettiford issued an apology via social media on Saturday night.
“Last night, I made a serious mistake and one that I take full responsibility for. My actions put myself and others at risk, and for that, I’m deeply sorry. There is no excuse,” he said on his Instagram story. “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.”
Pearl praised Pettiford for his unselfishness as a freshman and willingness to play a reserve role behind other veteran backcourt players.
In its latest mock, nbadraft.net has Pettiford going to Milwaukee with the #20 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
FanDuel has Pettiford with +4000 (or 40/1) odds to win the Wooden Award. The Tigers have 25/1 odds to win the 2026 NCAA Tournament.