Auburn’s Tahaad Pettiford shows off his pre-draft workout ahead of the NBA combine scrimmages: “Just tryna get stronger, get more reps”

Tahaad Pettiford is one of the seventy-five players who were invited to the 2025 NBA Draft Combine on Friday. He will represent Auburn men's basketball alongside standout guard Johni Broome. According to the NBA, the event will take place from May 11 to 18 in Chicago.

Ahead of the Combine, Pettiford had a chat with Draft Express where he disclosed how his pre-draft process was going.

"Workout every morning, then we're having a group lift at 12:30 and after that depending on the time, shooting until 5:06. And in between we've got recovery. Just tryna get stronger, get more reps, try to fix any, touch any part of my game that needs to be fixed and get ready for pre-draft," Pettiford revealed to Draft Express.

Pettiford went on to say that he wanted to be a point guard that teams need. He also hoped to move up the draft board with his showing at the Combine, and hopefully move in the direction of a guaranteed contract. He also said that if things do not work out, he would run it back at Auburn.

A clip of the interview was uploaded on Instagram by Draft Express, where the 19-year-old could be seen swishing threes as he works on his jumper.

Reflecting on his freshman year at Auburn, Pettiford acknowledged that the team had a great season but fell short eventually. However, his season with the Tigers was definitely worth it because not everyone had the freshman year that he had.

He also credited Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl for having his back and supporting his decisions despite wanting him back at Auburn.

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Auburn reacts to Tahaad Pettiford's invite to 2025 NBA Draft Combine

Auburn men's basketball reacted to the news that Tahaad Pettiford had been invited to the 2025 NBA Draft Combine. Pettiford declared for the 2025 NBA Draft after his freshman season with the Tigers, but he maintained his college eligibility. Auburn posted a photo of Pettiford and Johni Broome, who was also invited for the Combine, on Instagram last Friday.

"Formally invited ✅," the Tigers captioned the post.

Pettiford made only one start in 38 games for Auburn last season. But he averaged 11.6 points and 3.0 assists in 22.9 minutes off the bench. Auburn had a historic season in the 2024-25 campaign, recording 32 wins which is the most in program's history.

The Tigers entered the 2025 NCAA Tournament as the #1 seed and defeated Alabama State, Creighton, Michigan and Michigan State. However, they were knocked out by the eventual champions, Florida, in the Final Four.

This year's draft is Pettiford's first and he will join other freshman stars like Jase Richardson, Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Khaman Maluach and Dylan Harper in the NBA Draft Combine.