On Saturday morning, 6-foot-10 forward Johni Broome; a highly-coveted transfer from Morehead State, announced that he would be committing to play for head coach Bruce Pearl at Auburn.
The 2021-22 OVC Defensive Player of the Year and 2020-21 OVC Rookie of the Year is a two-time All-Conference selection as a two-year starter for the Eagles where he averaged a double-double with 16.8 PPG and 10.5 RPG last season while leading his conference in blocks with 3.9 PG.
Broome also comes equipped with tournament experience having carried Morehead State to the NCAA tournament as only a freshman by dominating the 2021 OVC Tournament and earning tournament MVP managing 19.3 PPG and 12 RPG. Although #14 Morehead State would lose to #3 West Virginia 84-67 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Broome would have a solid game shooting 42% from the floor for 10 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
He joins the defending SEC Champions with three years of eligibility remaining and will be an excellent fill-in for the 2021-22 SEC Defensive Player of the Year Walker Kessler, who is going through the NBA Draft process. Both Broome and Kessler finished top three in the nation for shot-blocking last season, were Defensive Players of the Year in their respective conferences, and can score and rebound very efficiently.
While the Tigers ultimately got their man in Broome, the Plant City, Florida native picked them over his local Florida Gators and reportedly also received interest from programs such as Duke, Gonzaga, Houston, Kentucky, Louisville, and Memphis.
