"He was raised right": Bruce Pearl appreciates Tahaad Pettiford's 'courage' despite not starting games

Tahaad Pettiford is in his freshman season, and he's playing for the No. 1 ranked team in the nation, the Auburn Tigers. With a 27-2 record, the team is in pole position to top the AP Poll ahead of March Madness. Pettiford has not started a game for the Tigers but has put up good numbers off the bench.

Due to this development, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl has commended Pettiford for his mature attitude. In a postgame interview after the Kentucky game on Saturday, Pearl said:

"I mean, Tahaad Pettiford has not started a game and has not said a word to any of his coaches, his family has not said a word, because he was raised right."

He added,

"And look, guys, there are still great stories about kids that want to be coached, they want to be held accountable, and kids that aren’t. ... Tahaad has been great and he has got great courage. You know, as a freshman, the seniors have done a great job of embracing him."

Pettiford has made the most of his minutes on the court and is the Tigers' spark plug off the bench. Pettiford's scoring has been a major component of the Tigers' offensive identity, especially when the second unit is on the court.

Pettiford is averaging 11.1 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.0 steals in 21.6 minutes. He's still awaiting the first start of his collegiate basketball career.

The Hudson Catholic Regional High School (Jersey City, New Jersey) product was a highly recruited prospect ahead of his collegiate commitment. He had offers from Auburn, Ole Miss, Kentucky, Kansas, Seton Hall and UCLA. However, he decided to take his talents to Auburn.

Why hasn't Tahaad Pettiford started this season?

The Tigers are stacked at the guard position, with Chad Baker-Mazara and Miles Kelly ahead of him on the depth chart. However, that hasn't stopped Tahaad Pettiford from ranking fourth among all players on points and third in steals per game.

Pettiford showed signs of things to come in just the second game of the season as he scored 21 points in a win over Houston. He also led his side in scoring against the Georgia Bulldogs and is currently on a four-game run of leading the team in assists.

Pettiford could be an instant starter on a number of Top 25 teams in the country. However, he has chosen to wait his turn for the keys to the backcourt with the Auburn Tigers, and he's playing a significant role in putting them in prime position for this season's national championship.