2/3/23 Auburn Articles

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Auburn basketball to play in 2024 Maui Invitational, per report

Published: Feb. 02, 2023, 6:23 p.m.

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Head Coach Bruce Pearl during the Men's Basketball game between Texas A&M Aggies and the #15 Auburn Tigers at Neville Arena in Auburn, AL on Wednesday, Jan 25, 2023. Steven Leonard/Auburn TigersSteven Leonard/Auburn Tigers

Auburn is heading back to Hawaii.

The Tigers are set to return to the Maui Invitational in 2024, according to a report from FanDuel’s Jon Rothstein. While no official announcement has been made, Auburn is expected to be the final team in the eight-team field, joining North Carolina, UConn, Michigan State, Memphis, Iowa State, Colorado and Dayton in the annual nonconference showcase tournament.

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Auburn lands five-star 2024 point guard Tahaad Pettiford

Bruce Pearl was asked about the report Thursday afternoon, and while he could not confirm the news, he acknowledged the Tigers have been working to return to the prestigious event.

“I don’t know what the status (is) – I know we’re working on it,” Pearl said. “I don’t know what year it is. But I know we’re working on trying to get back to Maui for sure.”

Auburn’s return to the Maui Invitational will mark the program’s first time competing in the tournament since the Tigers’ Final Four season in 2018-19. That season, Auburn made the late-November trip to Hawaii to participate in a field that included Duke, Xavier, San Diego State, Iowa State, Illinois, Gonzaga and Arizona. The Tigers went 2-1 during the 2018 Maui Invitational, defeating Xavier before losing to top-ranked Duke in the semifinals and then defeating Arizona in the third-place game.

Auburn went on to win 30 games that season, winning the SEC Tournament and making the Final Four for the first time in program history.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

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this might be a repeat but in case it was not here this is.............apologies

 

 

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BREAKING: Auburn lands nation's No. 3 point guard Tahaad Pettiford

Nathan King

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For the second straight class, Auburn has landed an elite point guard.

The second commitment of Auburn's 2024 class is that of Tahaad Pettiford, the No. 3 point guard in the country who chose the Tigers on Wednesday afternoon over Kansas, Kentucky, UCLA, UConn and others. A product of Hudson Catholic in New Jersey, Pettiford is a 5-star prospect in the 247Sports Composite ratings as the No. 22 overall recruit in the class.

He joins 4-star center Peyton Marshall, who committed in December, in a 2024 class that has a chance to be special for Bruce Pearl's program.

Pettiford's only official visit this past fall was to Auburn in September. He unofficially visited UConn during this season.

"Going on that visit and stepping on the campus, it felt like a second home to me," Pettiford said during his commitment ceremony livestream on the 247Sports YouTube channel. "It felt like a place I knew I could play at, and they could help me excel my game and take me to the next level."

The decision by Pettiford, who's been measured at 6-foot-1 recently, makes for back-to-back classes with a top-rated point guard for Auburn, after Aden Holloway signed with the program this past November.

Assuming Pettiford signs, he'll become the third-highest rated recruit in Auburn history, ahead of Yohan Traore and behind only Jabari Smith and Sharife Cooper.

"They're going to get someone that wants to win," Pettiford said. "Coming in, trying to be a leader. A pass-first point guard, trying to get my teammates involved, but can knock down a big shot if you need me to. But overall, I'm just trying to win a national championship. That's the goal."

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With Pettiford's commitment, Auburn makes an early move into the top 5 in 2024, now with the No. 5 recruiting class in the country.

The Tigers will likely pursue up to four players in the 2024 class, and more movement could come in just a couple days. The No. 1 player in the state of Alabama, combo guard Labaron Philon out of Mobile, told Auburn Undercover that he's set to commit during a ceremony at Baker High School on Friday. Philon currently has two 247Sports Crystal Balls, both to Auburn.

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How To Watch: Tennessee vs. Auburn

Evan Crowell

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• Volunteer Country
• Men's Basketball

Coming off a loss to Florida, Tennessee must play strong basketball against a ranked Auburn squad.

College basketball is full of disappointments. Tennessee is coming off a tough one on Wednesday when an unranked Florida squad thoroughly outplayed them.

Forward Colin Castleton bullied the Volunteers in the final minutes and helped Florida put the finishing touches on an essential win. The Gators needed a resume win for when the committee begins to select March Madness teams, and they got one over Tennessee.

The reality is that Tennessee will be getting everyone's best game moving forward, as everyone has something to prove to the committee aside from the top three or four teams.

Auburn is an excellent example. While they aren't as desperate as Florida, the No. 25 Tigers don't have a marquee win that gives fans any real hope of competing for a national title.

If Auburn beats Tennessee, we would see them in a different light. Meanwhile, the Volutneers must prove again that they can rebound after a loss; they ripped off four consecutive wins after losing to Kentucky, with three of those wins coming in SEC play.

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How To Watch Auburn @ Tennessee

• Gameday: Saturday, February 4th, 2023.
• Game time: 2:00 pm ET
• TV: ESPN
• Stadium: Thompson-Boling Arena (Knoxville, Tennessee)
• Live stream on fuboTV: Start with a 7-day free trial!