Tahaad Pettiford, a freshman guard for the Auburn Tigers in the 2024–25 season, comes from Jersey City, New Jersey, and played high school basketball at Hudson Catholic Regional. He is the seventh player in program history to earn McDonald’s All-American honors and is enrolled in the College of Education.
On the other hand, Bobby Pettiford, a former Kansas Jayhawk now at East Carolina, has built a reputation as a dynamic combo guard recognized for his strong defense and offensive energy.
Is Tahaad Pettiford Related to Bobby Pettiford? Here’s the Truth
Although Tahaad Pettiford and Bobby Pettiford both shine on the basketball court and share the same surname, no confirmed family relationship exists between them. Their backgrounds reveal distinct family roots—Tahaad, a standout freshman at Auburn, is the son of Travis Pettiford and Tia Taylor Finch and comes from Jersey City, New Jersey.
Tahaad Pettiford has almost always been the youngest and smallest player out there
after all, he started playing against grown men in pickup games when he was in the third grade
so being a freshman and helping lead a veteran Auburn team to the Final Four?
that’s nothing new pic.twitter.com/vopECACllH
— Justin Ferguson (@JFergusonAU) April 4, 2025
In contrast, Bobby, a junior guard for East Carolina University, was born in Durham, North Carolina, to Wanda and Bobby Pettiford Sr. He also has an older brother named Eric Rankin. Bobby began his college career in Kansas before transferring and majoring in Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Standing at 6 feet tall and weighing 196 pounds, he is known for his dynamic guard play. Off the court, Bobby enjoys video games and shopping for clothes and sneakers. While their talent is undeniable, the connection between these athletes appears to be rooted solely in basketball, not blood.
Tahaad Pettiford’s Impact Grows as Auburn Returns to Final Four
Auburn has finally reached the Final Four after their last appearance in 2019, and freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford has made a great impact during the postseason run.
Although he had been making 11.7 points and 2.9 assists per game throughout the season, Pettiford has upped his play in the NCAA Tournament, scoring 17.3 points per contest, which is on par with All-American Johni Broome for the team lead.
Despite logging close to 30 minutes per game during the tournament, Pettiford remains a bench player behind veteran starters Denver Jones and Miles Kelly. Still, he consistently finishes games on the floor. His lone start came on March 4 against Texas A&M after Jones was sidelined by injury.
KEEP READING: Will Johni Broome Play in the Final Four Against Florida? HC Bruce Pearl Offers Key Injury Update
At a Thursday press conference, Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl praised Pettiford’s maturity in accepting his sixth-man role.
“Great player. One of our best players, and yet only started one game… And not a word. Not a body language, shoulder shrug, roll eye ever from Tahaad,” Pearl said.
Pearl added,
“If he did, his dad would slap it right out of him. Travis.” He emphasized Pettiford’s respect for senior teammates and credited his upbringing: “I just think it’s about being raised right.”
Auburn faces Florida at 6:09 p.m. ET on Saturday.
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