Auburn's Steven Pearl Weighs in on Tahaad Pettiford's Sluggish Start to Season

The Auburn Tigers blasted Wofford 93-62 on Tuesday night, improving to 3-0 on the season heading into their toughest matchup thus far against No. 1 Houston this weekend.

However, despite scoring 90+ points in all five outings, including the two preseason exhibition games, Auburn’s only returner from last year’s Final Four squad hasn’t been exactly spectacular.

Sophomore guard Tahaad Pettiford was one of the top players in the country ahead of his second season on the Plains, but he has underperformed on both ends of the floor against inferior opponents.

Granted, he is adapting to a new role this year as the Tigers’ starting point guard, but it’s safe to say fans were expecting more from Pettiford in the first two weeks of the season.

The New Jersey native is averaging double-figures, posting 11 points in the season opener, 13 points versus Merrimack, and nine points against Wofford on Tuesday. However, he has been incredibly inefficient on the offensive end, shooting just 27.9% from the field and 17.4% from deep in Auburn’s first three games.

Pettiford’s worst shooting performance came in last night’s victory over the Terriers, where he went 4-of-17 (23.5%) from the floor and 1-of-7 (14.3%) from downtown. He also had four rebounds, five assists, and boasted a plus-27 rating in this plus-minus metric, meaning he was still an important contributor in the win, even despite his inability to knock down shots.

Head coach Steven Pearl didn’t focus much on Pettiford’s offensive struggles in the postgame press conference, revealing how his focus actually centers around a different aspect of his game.

"The offense doesn't bother me at all. Like 4-for-17, I don't care about that. I know that his shots are going to fall,” Pearl said after the game. “What I do care about is the attention to detail and the effort on the defensive end, like he has got to continue to be locked in on that side of the ball, especially when his offense isn't going. And I have very high expectations, and I have very high standards for Tahaad being our only returner. So, he did a good job of facilitating the ball with five assists…. Obviously, good plus minus, but he's got to be better on the defensive end.”

Pearl’s high aspirations for Pettiford are validated, as he was one of Auburn’s most valuable pieces last season on both ends of the floor. The first-year head coach believes that he can be an elite defender, but he has lacked consistency thus far.

"He's gotta dive on the floor for loose balls, he's gotta – and when he is locked in, like he's he could be such, he's such a great defender. But he gets, he has these moments and these lulls where he stands up and gets back-cut too many times, or he gives up an offensive rebound.”

“I know what he's capable of because I've seen it on film so many times, and I watched the Houston game (from last year) and, like, that dude was in a stance for 40 minutes at Houston. And that's why we won the game. It wasn't his offense. He was guarding. He was being physical. He was checking dudes out, like he was doing all – dived on the floor. Like, those are the little things that I need Tahaad to do.

Pearl also pointed to the first few minutes of the second half, which he thinks demonstrates how strong effort from Pettiford on the defensive end will translate to offensive success.

"And I think when his defense picks up, that's when his offense will get going. I thought the first five minutes of the second half, I thought the reason why he made a couple shots was because he sat down and guarded defensively, and I thought that really helped him in his momentum to obviously get the confidence to make a few. So I think he's just got to continue to do that.”

“I have no worries that he's – he's gonna get back on track offensively. But until he does, the non-negotiables are the defensive end, and I need him to be great on that side, until he starts knocking shots down. Because when he does, we've got a chance, but we need him. I mean, we need him. For us to have a chance to have success this year, we need Tahaad to do the things we know he's capable of."

Pettiford faces a tough test on Sunday against Kelvin Sampson and a Houston team known for its stout defense. The Tigers’ offense hasn’t struggled to produce as a whole against three lesser opponents, but Auburn will need Pettiford to be effective on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court this weekend to have an opportunity to take down the top-ranked Cougars.