Nearly Bruce Pearl’s entire roster exhausted its final year of eligibility on the Tigers’ Final Four run last season, yet only Johni Broome and Tahaad Pettiford received NBA Draft Combine invites. Yet, the stakes for the two Auburn stars heading to Chicago on May 11 could not be more different.
In some ways, the Combine and this entire NBA Draft process are make-or-break for Broome. The First-Team All-American was a two-year superstar after transferring from Morehead State to Auburn, but the 6-foot-10, 240-pound big man plays an outdated style for the NBA game and will need to impress to be a first-round pick or risk a career in the G-League or Europe. For Pettiford, the trip to Chicago should be a relaxing one.
After an electric freshman year off the bench for the Tigers, Pettiford declared for the 2025 NBA Draft while maintaining his collegiate eligibility. So, if the former four-star scoring guard doesn’t catch the eye of NBA evaluators with his impressive shot-making, he can return to Auburn for a presumably substantial NIL package and lead Pearl’s reloaded roster as the starting point guard.
Johni Broome and Tahaad Pettiford receive invites to NBA Draft Combine
While he’s primarily a post-scorer, Broome isn’t exactly a dinosaur, and even Zach Edey found his way into the early first round last summer. Broome is a force on the defensive end of the floor with his shot-blocking instincts and rebounding prowess, and he’s more than a capable passer, especially from the top of the key.
Still, he’ll need to develop his three-point shot to space the floor offensively, and he must improve from a 58 percent free-throw shooter to stick in the NBA. The Combine is his first opportunity to prove he’s taken strides in those areas. If he can’t, teams could get weary of his play style, especially if he’s forced to play as an undersized center at the next level, and he could slide down draft boards.
Pettiford, on the other hand, has nothing to lose. He’s rarely been seen on NBA mock drafts, partially because of the assumption that he will return to Auburn, and partially because his game still requires quite a bit of refinement. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound guard is a microwave scorer who is impossible for defenders to stay in front of, but he could be a liability on the defensive end at the next level, and it’s unclear whether he’s a trustworthy decision-maker with the ball in his hands.
Combine scrimmages could give a chance for Pettiford to play turnover-free basketball and display improved defensive awareness, but if the NBA isn’t sold on a small sample size, he has three years of eligibility remaining to change their minds, while he’s cashing big-time NIL checks.
Pettiford can play free in Chicago and hope to blow an NBA team away, but Broome doesn’t have a plan B, so he’ll have much more pressure than his much younger teammate.