"Tahaad Pettiford is a fearless basketball player": Bruce Pearl's son Steven Pearl reviews Auburn star's game against Alabama 

Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers beat the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide 94-85 in a big matchup between two of the highest-ranked squads in the country on Saturday. They witnessed a big play from Tahaad Pettiford, who received praise from Pearl's son.

The score was tied at 65 apiece, with 7:49 remaining in the second half. Going on the transition, Pettiford showed no hesitation as he knocked down the three-pointer, which proved to be pivotal in the Tigers earning the win. He finished with 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field after 23 minutes of action.

Assistant coach Steven Pearl reflected on Pettiford's performance during his interview on "The Next Round" show on Tuesday. He had high remarks, praising the player's confidence in taking the shot in a big moment of the contest.

"Tahaad is a fearless basketball player and that’s a good shot for him. As soon as he shot it, we had all the confidence in the world that he was gonna knock it down," Steven said.

Bruce Pearl, Auburn maintain their place in new AP Top 25 poll

Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers continue to dominate throughout the course of the 2024-25 season, continuing to receive immense approval from AP voters.

The Associated Press revealed the new poll on Monday, showing the Tigers to maintain their place at the top spot. They are fending off big competition, keeping their position away from the Florida Gators and Duke Blue Devils.

Auburn boasts a 23-2 overall record, including an 11-1 showing in SEC Play. They put up 85.1 points on 48.5% shooting from the field and 37.3% from beyond the arc, beating opponents by a solid margin of 16.7 points per game.

Johni Broome commands the unit with numbers of 18.1 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.7 blocks on shooting splits of 50.3% overall and 30% from downtown. Chad Baker-Mazara comes next with 12.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists, while Pettiford provides 11.6 points and 2.6 assists off the bench.

Bruce Pearl and the No. 1 Tigers prepare for their next matchup, hosting the Arkansas Razorbacks at Neville Arena on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET.