Johni Broome Stuffs Stat Sheet In Overtime Thriller

Saturday’s rivalry matchup between the Auburn Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide did not disappoint. The SEC matchup went down to the wire in overtime as seventh-ranked Alabama exchanged blows with the AP’s number-one ranked team on the Tigers’ home floor. Ultimately, it ended with a ginormous road win for the Crimson Tide, as Mark Sears ended the game with a soft buzzer-beating floater that will not be forgotten any time soon.

Even though he ended up on the losing side, Johni Broome had one of his most impressive games of the entire season. For starters, he posted his highest point total of any game with 34 of them. This included two-for-four shooting from beyond the arc and 13-for-24 shooting from two-point range. However, the rest of his game might have been even more impressive than his season-best scoring effort. 

Broome corralled eight rebounds with his 6-foot-10, 240-pound frame, while also showcasing some smart passing with his three assists. Defensively, while he did end up on the wrong end of some highlight plays, the fifth-year senior recorded an incredible eight stocks (steals + blocks). Broome’s immense two-way impact carried Auburn throughout this matchup, but it wasn’t quite enough to overcome an incredible fight from Alabama.

Broome’s stellar performance should have strengthened his case for National Player Of The Year. But when competing against freshman prodigy Cooper Flagg, a team loss means he loses ground to Flagg, who led his Duke Blue Devils to a huge victory over UNC. Still, this performance showed NBA scouts the ways in which Broome could impact the NBA game.

He’s projected in the late first round due to concerns about his role in the NBA and older age for a prospect, but Broome’s stat-stuffing effort demonstrated his ability to dictate a game through versatile defense and strong rebounding, while scoring when in position to. To best convince NBA scouts he can thrive in a combo-big role in the pros, though, he’ll have to display this improved scoring ability throughout the season. He’ll have plenty of opportunity to do so as he attempts to lead Auburn to a coveted National Championship in March Madness.