Despite a 2-0 start, Auburn basketball fell two positions to No. 22 in this week’s AP Top 25 poll.
Following a close overtime victory over Bethune-Cookman in the season opener, the Tigers beat Merrimack by 38 points last week.
However, Auburn’s backcourt has not had the best of starts as the Tigers prepare for games against top-ranked Houston this week.
Returning starter Tahaad Pettiford has averaged 12 points a game in Auburn’s first two games, but he is currently shooting 30% from the field.
Pettiford’s three-point percentage has also been low, shooting 18.8% from long and converting on only 3-of-16 attempts to begin the season.
Auburn coach Steven Pearl discussed Pettiford’s sluggish start Monday afternoon as he anticipated Tuesday’s game against Wofford.
“Tahaad has always been a playmaker. Tahaad has to work extremely hard to get his shots off. And I believe it is one of the reasons why we have not yet completed all of our best actions,” Pearl remarked. “That will continue to develop as the season progresses. You can’t put all your greatest things in at the start of the year; else, everyone will have scouted your entire playbook.”
During his rookie season, Pettiford averaged 8.5 points and shot 35.6 percent from the field in Neville Arena games.
Pettiford was most effective away from home, averaging 15 points and shooting 49.2% from the field in 13 games.
“So, I’m not concerned about Tahaad. If you look at the first four games, including the two exhibitions, he’s shooting 30 percent, and we’ve scored 95 points or more in all of them,” Pearl said. “If you told me before the year, we’re going to play these four games, we’re going to score 95 or more in every single one and Tahaad would be shooting 30 percent, I’d probably laugh at you because I wouldn’t think that would have been a possibility.”
“If Tahaad’s going to shoot 30 percent and we can score 95 points, that gives me some confidence in our offense that when he does get it going, that could be a very explosive part of this team and a big strength of this team,” says Pearl.