Justin Ferguson

1 week ago | auburnobserver.com | Justin Ferguson

AUBURN — When Bruce Pearl said last month that he wanted to add one more impact player on the inside, it wasn’t quite clear where Auburn would get said big man. There weren’t any obvious names in the transfer portal at that late point in the cycle, and there didn’t seem to be a clear-cut option among the players testing the NBA Draft waters. After Auburn hosted Louisville center James Scott on a visit and he later picked Ole Miss, it felt like the Tigers were going to have to get creative.

1 week ago | auburnobserver.com | Justin Ferguson

AUBURN — The NBA called Haad, but he wasn’t quite ready to answer. The biggest and longest-awaited piece of news for Auburn basketball was delivered on Wednesday, as Tahaad Pettiford announced that he would withdraw from the 2025 NBA Draft and return to the Tigers for another season. Pettiford practically went through the full scope of the pre-draft process, declaring a couple of days after Auburn’s best-ever season ended at the Final Four.

1 week ago | auburnobserver.com | Justin Ferguson

AUBURN — Memorial Day weekend is move-in weekend for new Auburn athletes, specifically ones in the Observer-covered sports of football and men’s basketball. On the football side, the Tigers didn’t add a ton of newcomers. The majority of roster moves are made in the winter, because players want to be on campus for the spring semester, if at all possible. The freshman wide receiver duo of twins Duke and Erick Smith are joining here in the early summer.

2 weeks ago | auburnobserver.com | Justin Ferguson

AUBURN — It’s about to be Memorial Day Weekend, and basketball is in the front of a lot of Auburn fans’ minds. How often have you been able to say that? Maybe it’s because the Tahaad Pettiford NBA Draft decision will be resolved in the next several days. Maybe it’s because what Bruce Pearl said earlier this week about his new-look roster — including an impending international signee — is just that fresh. Maybe it’s the vibes that come with a Final Four run and an outright SEC title.

2 weeks ago | auburnobserver.com | Justin Ferguson

AUBURN — Last week, before the Regions Tradition Celebrity Pro-Am in Hoover, Hugh Freeze laid out a simple yet cutting truth about his Auburn football team. Since he arrived on the Plains, Freeze has constantly talked about needing to improve the talent level in order to compete for championships again. He personally believes that it will take three strong recruiting classes to do that. So far, he’s gotten two. But going through that process doesn’t excuse what Auburn put on the field last fall.