Auburn basketball has secured a place among the final four teams still competing in the NIT.
While it doesn’t carry the same prestige as the NCAA Tournament Final Four appearance the Tigers enjoyed last season, head coach Steven Pearl is still embracing the moment and what it offers his squad.
“It was by committee, and I’ve said it a million times: It’s not the tournament we want to be playing in, but our guys have done a great job of using this platform, using this opportunity to just go out there and hoop,” Pearl said. “I’m really proud of them for that, and it’s something we can build on.”
The Tigers advanced with a 75–69 win over Nevada on Wednesday night and are set to face Illinois State in the semifinal on Thursday, April 2. Tahaad Pettiford led the charge with 16 points, six assists, two rebounds, and two steals, along with what many are calling one of the best blocks of the season.
His highlight moment came on a chase-down rejection against Nevada’s Vaughn Weems, a play that quickly became one of the standout moments of Auburn’s postseason.
“I’ve had better blocks. Definitely top five, for sure,” Pettiford said after the game. “Just people not expecting me to jump with them or meet them at the rim. Just trying to get that timing right.
“If I feel like I can go get them, I’m going to jump regardless. I don’t care who it is. You can dunk it or not. But if I feel like I can get a block, I’m going to go jump every time and just let the outcome be the outcome.”
Pettiford’s defensive growth throughout the season has drawn praise from Pearl, who highlighted the sophomore’s ability to impact games on both ends of the court.
“Tahaad Pettiford is our best post defender,” Pearl said. “It’s unbelievable how hard he works down there. He busts his a** to front the post and I’ll tell him sometimes, ‘Let somebody kick you out,’ he’s like, ‘No, I’m good,’ and he just keeps fighting. He does such a good job down there.
“I thought his energy level defensively tonight was really, really good. And when he defends like that, it’s contagious, and it makes our defense so much better. So, we just did a good job communicating our switches.”
Pettiford, who was part of Auburn’s Final Four run in 2025, also experienced the disappointment of falling short on the biggest stage against eventual champions Florida. Now, with the NIT semifinals ahead in Indianapolis, his focus is firmly on finishing what the team started.
“It means a lot. That’s why we’re still playing,” Pettiford said. “That’s why we’re here. Our goal is to win it all, and that’s what we’re here to do. We’re just going to get ready to go to Indiana and finish business.
“This tournament isn’t the tournament we all wanted to be in. But it just shows the type of guys we have on this team — that are going to come in every single day and give it their all, no matter if we’re playing in the NIT or March Madness. I’m happy to play every single day with these guys, and I just can’t wait to go play another game.”