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Philadelphia 76ers Land Auburn Superstar with 35th Pick in 2025 NBA Draft

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Alec Musa | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 9:55 PM ET

After a stellar five-year college career, ending with a three-season run with the Auburn Tigers , Johni Broome is headed to the NBA.

On Thursday, during the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft , the Philadelphia 76ers selected Broome with the 35th overall pick.

Broome becomes the first player from Auburn drafted into the NBA since Jabari Smith Jr. and Walker Kessler in 2022.

Last season, Broome earned SEC Player of the Year honors while becoming a consensus first-team All-American. He led Auburn to one of their best seasons in program history, ending in a Final Four appearance. The Karl Malone Award winner scored 18.6 points per game while leading the SEC in rebounds (10.8) and blocks (2.1).

An efficient scorer, Broome developed a three-point shot during his final season in Auburn. He shot 28% from deep on a career-high 2.8 treys during the 2024-25 season. Before joining Auburn in 2022, he spent two seasons with the Morehead State Eagles, winning Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player in his final year.

Broome will join a Philadelphia 76ers team that underperformed last season following a season-ending injury to former MVP Joel Embiid. Meanwhile, superstar guard Tyrese Maxey played just 52 games, while veteran Paul George failed to appear in more than half the team's games. Former first-round pick Jared McCain was also limited to just 23 games of action.

Nevertheless, Philadelphia finished the season 24-58 but will look for a bounce-back season starting next winter. In the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, the 76ers selected guard VJ Edgecombe from the Baylor Bears.

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

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