"Get me Kirby Smart and Georgia on the line right now": Fans react as Auburn's Tahaad Pettiford reportedly faces a DUI case

Auburn guard Tahaad Pettiford has found himself in hot water after being arrested on a DUI charge early Saturday morning in Lee County, Alabama. The incident is reportedly alcohol-related, and because Pettiford is under the legal drinking age, even a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.02% or more is considered illegal under state law. The 19-year-old had his bond set at $1,000 following the arrest.

Once On3 posted the news on X, college basketball fans weighed in, some seriously, others not so much. Some fans started drawing comparisons to Georgia football, which has built a reputation for having players face off-field issues.

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“Get me Kirby Smart and Georgia on the line right now!,” one fan wrote in reaction.

“That’s what happens with Bruce Pearl in charge,” another person commented, taking a jab at Auburn’s head coach.

“We're turning into Georgia quickly,” someone else added.

“What a dumbass. Piece of sh*t,” a fan vented.

“Has Bruce Pearl lost his program???” another asked.

“He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Drop the charges,” one more chimed in.

Pettiford is coming off a strong freshman campaign, averaging 11.6 points, 3.0 assists and 2.2 rebounds in 38 games. His performances helped Auburn record 32 wins last season, the most under Bruce Pearl, along with an SEC regular-season title and their second-ever Final Four trip.

With this latest development, all eyes will now be on how Auburn and Pettiford handle things moving forward.

Tahaad Pettiford abandoned draft assurance for another college season

The highly-touted point guard tested the NBA draft waters earlier this year and was projected as a potential first-round pick. However, he chose to return for his sophomore season in hopes of improving his draft stock.

"I was happy to go through the process, getting feedback from NBA teams," Pettiford said in an interview with ESPN. "Going back to Auburn is a better situation for me. I see myself being a higher pick next year. It wasn't 100% this year, so I didn't want to take that chance."

Pettiford is the only player who returned from last season’s team.

About the author

Babatunde Kolawole is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over eight years of experience in the field with Canoncrested.com, Garbersports.com, LiveScore Bet Nigeria and Pulse Sports Nigeria.

Kolawole studied Agricultural Economics on the tertiary level but delved into sports writing after school. Over half a decade later, the experience garnered helped him land this role.

Historically, the Alabama Crimson Tide stands out as Kolawole's favorite team as he was drawn to their rich history.

As for basketball, JuJu Watkins is Kolawole's favorite current player due to how much diversity she has in her game, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar gets the nod for past players because of how he dominated with UCLA.

Kolawole has appeared on several TV and Radio shows as a guest analyst, and in his spare time, likes to watch movies (a sucker for the Marvel Cinematic Universe) and listen to a lot of music. He also loves to travel.

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Edited by Krutik Jain