Auburn is off to a stellar 14-1 start this season and carries the nation's No. 2 ranking—and the Tigers have forward Johni Broome to thank for that.
In his fifth season in college basketball, Broome has raised his game to new heights. His 18.7 points per game are a career high, while his 11.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game lead the SEC.
On Saturday, however, Broome suffered an ankle sprain as Auburn narrowly avoided defeat in a 66–63 win over South Carolina. Making matters worse, coach Bruce Pearl told Field of 68's Jeff Goodman the injury is significant.
“That’s what we think," Pearl said via Goodman. "We will get tests tomorrow to make sure.”
Auburn coach Bruce Pearl just told me that the early indications are that Johni Broome’s ankle injury is a significant sprain and it’s likely he’ll Miss some time.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) January 11, 2025
“That’s what we think. We will get tests tomorrow to make sure.”
Broome's absence is significant for a team beginning conference play in what is widely considered one of the deepest leagues in college basketball history. The Tigers have a stretch of four of six games against ranked teams on the way, and are currently scheduled to close the regular season against four straight ranked teams.
Next up for Auburn in the near term is No. 14 Mississippi State on Tuesday.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bruce Pearl Provides Johni Broome Injury Update Following Auburn's Narrow Win.
