Johni Broome, Jase Richardson, Wendell Green Jr. and more react as Tahaad Pettiford bids farewell to Auburn: "Go be great"

NCAA Basketball: Final Four National Semifinal-Florida at Auburn - Source: Imagn

Tahaad Pettiford spent only one season with the Auburn Tigers and in college in general before declaring for the 2025 NBA draft, as he announced on Monday. Pettiford, the No. 39-ranked prospect according to ESPN's NBA draft rankings, is not expected to be a top pick, though.

However, the decision is not final as he has the option to withdraw his declaration and return to college if he does not feel he will be drafted into the right situation.

After Tahaad Pettiford's announcement, many of his teammates and coaches reacted in the comments on Instagram.

"Go be great," Johni Broome wrote.

"Let's go you were born for this," skills trainer Deslon Fleurmond commented.

"Haad 'heart emoji'," Jase Richardson added.

Teammates and friends of Pettiford continued to react in the comments.

"Duh!" Wendell Green Jr. wrote.

"Go get what's yours," Miles Kelly commented.

"Get what's yours killa," Abdul Bashir added.

Images via Tahaad Pettiford's Instagram post.

Tahaad Pettiford's decision to declare for the 2025 NBA draft is not final

Although Tahaad Pettiford declaring for the 2025 NBA draft is a big deal, it is not a final decision. Players who declared for the NBA draft but still have NCAA eligibility have until May 28 to withdraw if they want. Players who do not withdraw their names will lose their eligibility to play in college, regardless of whether they are drafted.

By declaring for the draft, Pettiford is eligible to attend the NBA combine. The event will be held in Chicago from May 11-18. There, Pettiford will have the opportunity to show off his physical attributes to NBA teams. It will also likely give him an indication of whether he will stay in the draft or return to college.

While Pettiford officially declared for the draft on Monday, it was public knowledge that he was going to return for several weeks. On Apr. 7, he spoke with ESPN about his plans if he returns to college.

"If I return, it will be to Auburn," Pettiford said. "I can't leave this type of situation. I trust BP with all my heart, so I will roll with him. Loyalty is important to me."

So, Auburn fans do not need to worry about him leaving for another college team next season.

About the author

Alexander O'Reilly is a journalist at Sportskeeda from Kingston, Ontario with over seven years in the field at companies including SenShot, RVBlogger, Monarch Media, WordAgents, GSeC LLC, and IGC.

His favorite college team is Duke, and his favorite sporting memory was Duke winning March Madness in 2010. JJ Redick was Alex's favorite college player when he was young but more recently, Caleb Williams gets the nod. As the Chicago Bears are Alex's favorite NFL team, this was a perfect match.

Alex's proudest moment came when he was interviewed by a radio station in Ottawa on his opinion on recent moves by the Ottawa Senators, which gave him a confidence boost and the knowledge that he could succeed as a writer.

Aside from sports, Alex likes to spend his time playing games. He is also very passionate about running and strives to improve at the half and full marathon distances.

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Edited by Nicolaas Ackermann