Auburn men’s basketball will get a key player from its Final Four run back for the 2025-2026 season.

Star point guard Tahaad Pettiford has withdrawn from the NBA Draft, he announced on social media Wednesday, confirming his spot on the Tigers’ roster next season. The decision comes after Pettiford declared for the draft on April 7 while maintaining his college eligibility.

Pettiford was a regular contributor for Auburn during the 2024-2025 season, averaging 11.6 points and three assists per game. He put up those numbers without being a starter, coming off the bench in 37 of Auburn’s 38 games.

As a freshman, Pettiford earned praise for his poise and fearlessness, having many of his best games against top competition. He scored 21 points against Houston, 20 against Duke, 18 against Purdue, 21 against Kentucky and 20 in the Sweet 16 against Michigan.

Pettiford’s draft stock seemed to rise during the NBA Combine, when during the first scrimmage he scored 23 points and dished out eight assists, doing so on 8-for-16 shooting and 4-for-8 shooting from 3-point range. Those numbers came after Pettiford registered a 42-inch max vertical leap, the second highest among participating players at this year’s combine.

Throughout the process, Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl remained confident that Pettiford would return to Auburn if he and his camp didn’t believe that he would get picked in the first round. In ESPN’s most recent mock draft, Pettiford was projected to be picked 37th overall by the Detroit Pistons, keeping him in the second round.

Pearl, while the NBA Combine was ongoing, said Auburn would “be a much better team” if Pettiford returned. He’s the only scholarship player returning from last season’s team, and will take on a bigger role next season, according to Pearl.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m