At its core, the game of basketball is about the bounces, whether good or bad. For Johni Broome and the Auburn Tigers, the metaphorical ball currently bounces in their favor. After an ankle injury that sidelined him for two weeks, the presumptive SEC Player of the Year took the court, aiming to show the conference and nation that he meant business.
Broome, who is already a Neismith Award candidate, returned with abandon. Now, that presents an opportunity to leave the rest of the basketball nation in relative distress. To think, he is just getting his wind back into game shape after the break.
First and foremost, credit the Auburn players and coaching staff. When Broome, initially went down with an injury, a nebulous timetable surfaced regarding rehab time. Yet, the program didn’t worry about who could not play in the game. Instead, they harnessed their collective energy and focus towards those who could actually step on the court.
While foolish to say that the team didn’t miss Broome, the squad maintained their winning ways and kept everything flowing in a strong direction. With the SEC season slowly winding down, trap games can still jump up and bite the Tigers. At the same time, this group appears more than capable of handling every obstacle thrown in their direction.
The fates did seem on Broome’s side when he came back. Tennessee, a problem in the making, bracketed Broome all game long. For those 33 minutes, Auburn’s leading scorer/rebounder/shot blocker could not truly get in an offensive rhythm, hitting on just seven of twenty shots.
Welcome back Johni Broome‼️
Our @jerseymikes Naismith Men’s College POY Watch List player Johni Broome returned to action yesterday for #️⃣1️⃣ @AuburnMBB in a huge win over Tennessee💪@jerseymikes | #JerseyMikesNaismith2025 | 🎥: @brhoops | #WarEagle pic.twitter.com/YCM6GnJsgy
— Naismith Awards (@NaismithTrophy) January 26, 2025
While he did pull down fourteen boards that night, Broome’s rhythm appeared off as he could not get settled or locked in. Yet, during Wednesday night’s trip to Baton Rouge, the old version walked onto the court. Broome torched the Bayou Bengals for 26 points, 16 rebounds, and three assists. The big man looked a tad nimbler explosive that go-round, unlike his outing versus Tennessee.
Johni Broome with another huge performance in a win over LSU tonight 🔥
26 PTS | 16 REB | 3 BLK pic.twitter.com/1BO2DETlRG
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) January 30, 2025
Johni Broome reclaimed his throne as the best player in the SEC. Those two games showed as much about him as they did Auburn itself. In essence, Auburn could make the NCAA tournament without Broome. However, the Tigers become instant national championship contenders with him. One man may not make a team, but one can certainly transform a program from good to great.
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