19 hours Ago By Ben Grunert
Johni Broome fueled Auburn’s latest March Madness victory, dropping 25 points and 14 rebounds in an Elite Eight win over Michigan State. The Tigers senior hyperextended his elbow and sprained his ankle midway through the second half before making a dramatic return to the court . Almost immediately after subbing in, Broome nailed a 3-pointer right with less than five minutes to go and sent the crowd into a frenzy.
Broome recently joined NBA rookie Jared McCain and content creator Marcelas Howard on the “Sideline Stories” podcast, a new March Madness series powered by Whistle and sponsored by Dove Men+Care. Whistle – a company owned by global sports streamer DAZN – launched the podcast to cover hot takes and reactions to the NCAA tournament. In the March 27 episode, Broome spoke to McCain and Howard about the trust head coach Bruce Pearl has displayed in him to lead the Tigers.
“He depends on me a lot, he depends on a couple of people,” Broome said . “He kind of looks at me because he always says the team goes as I go. If I’m having good energies and good spirits and I’m ready to go, they’re gonna follow me as well .
.. I think he depends on me on that part – to kind of get the guys ready to go to work.
” An official finalist for Naismith College Player of the Year, Broome has led the way for Auburn all season long. Broome’s titanic efforts have helped the Tigers to a 32-5 overall record and a 15-3 mark against the SEC. Later in the podcast, Broome credited his first two years of college hoops as a major catalyst for his leadership.
Broome played at Morehead State for two seasons before transferring to Auburn for his last three years of NCAA basketball. “I think the biggest way Morehead State prepared me was experiencing being the best player on the court,” Broome said. “It gave me that confidence in late-game situations, you always have the ball in your hands .
.. When teams start to double team, I’ve already been doubled.
I already went through that stuff. I know what it feels like to need to go get a bucket ..
. I still feel like I’m ready for that moment at any given time.” Broome already set the best possible example for his teammates by fighting through an injury, but there is more work to be done.
Florida awaits Auburn in the Final Four, where the two strongest teams in the SEC will meet for the second time this year..
