Auburn Freshman Key Piece to Second Half Dominance in Sweet 16

The Auburn Tigers freshman guard stepped up on the big stage to elevate his team to the Elite Eight

The young Auburn talent is flashing what could be to come for the next few years in the tournament / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers took down the Big Ten Champions, the Michigan Wolverines, in the Sweet 16, 78-65. 

It was a tight bout heading into halftime with Auburn barely hanging onto the lead, 30-29. However, they turned the jets on in the second half and pulled away. 

A key cog in the machine for the second-half showing was Auburn freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford. He finished with 20 points on the night, with 12 of them coming in the second half. 

“Started off a little slow, not how I wanted to start,” Pettiford said after the game, “but having guys like this just to back me up knowing that they've got my back, just an amazing feeling.”

Nights like the one he had in the Sweet 16 only emphasize the larger role he’s taken on early in his collegiate career. 

“It's very important,” Auburn star forward Johni Broome said. “He has a very important role on this team. He does whatever it takes to win. We need a spark, he gives the spark.”

Having these veterans around him in these high-leverage situations goes a long way. 

“Just getting out there the second half, getting back to what I usually do...Just having guys like that knowing that they have my back is a great feeling.”

In his freshman campaign so far, Pettiford is averaging 11.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. His assists are tied with Johni Broome for the lead on the team. 

A reminder that this is how he's playing as a freshman. Pettiford is only scratching the surface on what is to come in his time at Auburn.

Auburn’s next challenger is Michigan State. The Spartans finished with the best regular season record in the Big Ten, claiming the regular-season championship. They reached the semifinal of the conference tournament before falling to Wisconsin.

Both the Tigers and the Spartans seek their first appearances in the Final Four since 2019. They both fell short of facing off for the National Championship six years ago. Now, they have a chance to duel. The winner heads to San Antonio. 

Tip-off for this game is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. on Sunday. 

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