Auburn's Tahaad Pettiford Named to Bob Cousy Award Preseason Watch List

Auburn Tigers basketball guard Tahaad Pettiford is receiving national recognition heading into his junior season, as he has been named to the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Top 20 Preseason Watch List.

The award, presented by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, recognizes the top point guard in college basketball.

Pettiford is one of 20 players nationally to make the list and one of eight players from the SEC.

And after what he accomplished during his sophomore season, the expectations are only getting higher for the Auburn guard.

Pettiford took a major step forward last season after averaging 11.6 points per game as a freshman on Auburn's Final Four team, Pettiford saw his role increase significantly during his sophomore campaign.

The junior averaged 15.4 points and 3.8 assists per game last season, starting 36 games and helping Auburn win the NIT Championship under first-year head coach Steven Pearl.

He finished the season with 13 games scoring at least 20 points and 14 games recording five or more assists.

Pettiford also established several career highs throughout the year.

He scored a career-high 30 points against Arizona, recorded nine assists against Queens, and picked up four steals against Alabama.

One of his biggest performances came in the NIT Championship against Tulsa, where he finished with 24 points and eight assists in Auburn's overtime victory.

There are plenty of positives and a good amount of production from a player who will be entering his third season on the Plains. However, there is also still room for improvement. 

Despite the offensive production, Pettiford struggled with shooting consistency throughout his sophomore season.

He shot 39.3% from the field and just 29% from three-point range.

That's an area where Auburn will need him to improve if the Tigers want to return to the NCAA Tournament, despite the field expanding to 76 teams.

But Pettiford has already shown that he can be one of the most productive guards in the SEC.

Through two seasons, he has recorded 1,025 career points and 258 assists, and after the team lost one of its primary new pieces in Mantas Rubštavičius, Auburn will need Pettiford to lead the way in a very big way.

The Tigers are coming off an NIT Championship, but the expectations for the program remain much higher as they are only two years removed from a Final Four appearance.

Auburn is looking to return to the NCAA Tournament, and Pettiford will be one of the biggest pieces in making that happen.