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Johni Broome Has Message for Former Four-Star Who Transferred From Auburn

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Robert Marvi | Last updated Apr 25, 2025 8:14 AM ET

This past season, Auburn had what initially looked like a promising run in the men's NCAA Tournament. As the No. 1 seed in the South region, it easily got past Alabama State and Creighton in the first two rounds of March Madness, and it then moved past Michigan in the Sweet Sixteen and second-seeded Michigan State in the Elite Eight.

But in the Final Four, the Tigers got humbled by Florida, 79-73, even though they led for much of the first half and remained ahead early in the second half.

Now, reserve forward Jahki Howard is leaving Auburn after committing to play for the Utah Utes next season. Former teammate Johni Broome commented on the news on his Instagram account.

"10 to 5," Broome wrote.

Howard averaged 4.2 points a game this past season as a freshman for Auburn. He only played 9.1 minutes a game, but he appears to have plenty of potential moving forward.

He was a highly regarded four-star recruit out of Overtime Elite Academy in Atlanta in 2024. At 6-foot-6, he has tremendous athleticism, and scouts have been intrigued about his defensive potential in particular.

Perhaps Howard will get more reps playing for the Utes and new head coach Alex Jensen. The Utes went 16-17 and finished 11th in the Big 12 this past season, and Jensen is hoping to parlay his experience as an NBA assistant coach into success at the college level.

He has spent the last two seasons on Jason Kidd's coaching staff with the Dallas Mavericks after he served 10 years as an assistant with the Utah Jazz. He was once a standout player with the Utes in the 1990s.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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