Pearl thrilled with 2024 class
AUBURN | Bruce Pearl has brought Auburn men's basketball to new heights over the last decade including a trip to the Final Four in 2019.
Five of his players have been taken in the NBA Draft over the last five years including No. 5 overall Isaac Okoro in 2020 and No. 3 overall Jabari Smith in 2022
Pearl took a big step in keeping the momentum rolling this week signing two highly-rated players in the 2024 class in 5-star combo guard Tahaad Pettiford and 4-star wing Jahki Howard.
Pettiford, the nation's No. 21 overall prospect according to Rivals, averaged 13.3 points per game for New Heights Lightning on the EYBL circuit, shooting 33.5 percent from the 3-point line.
As a junior, the 5-foot-10, 175-pounder averaged 17.0 points for Hudson Catholic in Jersey City, N.J.
“Tahaad is a very unique player,” said Pearl. “He is a gifted scorer with an unlimited range. Instant offense. He has tremendous speed, quickness and athletic jumping ability. Tahaad is a very tough cover and uses that athleticism to be a pest defensively.
“Ira Bowman did a tremendous job of identifying Tahaad very early on in the recruiting process and developed a close, trusting relationship. Tahaad will have a Pied Piper effect on our program. Guys will want to play with him.”
Howard, the No. 74 overall prospect, is currently averaging 15.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.9 steals and 0.5 blocks per game in the preseason for Overtime Elite.
Last year, the 6-foot-6, 185-pounder scored in double figures in five of the eight games he played for OTE including 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists at Hillcrest.
“Jahki is one of the most underrated prospects in the 2024 class,” said Pearl. “We’ve been watching and recruiting him since his freshman year – seeing so much growth, maturity and commitment to becoming great. His basketball IQ, his athleticism and his motor make him a great fit for our program.”
Both Pettiford and Howard are expected to enroll at Auburn next summer and be key contributors on the 2024-25 team.