Tag: Johni Broome

In photos: No. 3 Auburn handles North Alabama at Neville Arena

Johni Broome scores 30 points while four other Tigers reach double-digits in the 102-69 win over North Alabama on Monday.

The No. 3 Auburn Tigers handled business on Monday by taking down in-state foe North Alabama, 102-69, in its final tune-up before competing in the Maui Invitational beginning next Monday.

It was a special day for [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag], who etched his second consecutive double-double by scoring 30 points and pulling down 17 rebounds in the win. It was the first time since last season’s game vs. Virginia Tech that Broome scored at least 30 points in a game. His 17 rebounds were also the most in a game since he recorded 18 rebounds in Auburn’s win over Georgia on Feb. 1, 2023.

Outside of Broome, all four remaining starters reached double-figures in points. Denver Jones tallied 13 points while [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag], [autotag]Miles Kelly[/autotag], and [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag] scored 12 points each. Off the bench, [autotag]Chaney Johnson[/autotag] scored eight points while grabbing five rebounds. Freshman [autotag]Tahaad Pettiford[/autotag] scored seven points in 20 minutes of action while posting five assists.

Re-live the best moments of Auburn’s 102-69 win over North Alabama on Monday by checking out the best images from the game.

Four-star forward Bryson Tiller to make decision this week

The 6-10, 240-pound power forward is widely considered one of the best front court prospects in the 2025 cycle.

19-year-old forward [autotag]Bryson Tiller[/autotag] has announced he will make his commitment decision this Saturday. A consensus top 20 prospect in the 2025 class, Tiller’s final four schools consist of Indiana, Georgia Tech, Auburn, and Kansas.

The 6-10, 240-pound power forward is widely considered one of the best front-court prospects in the 2025 cycle. Tiller currently plays his basketball for Overtime Elite in Georgia, giving Auburn the upper hand in terms of proximity to the talented forward. While there are no pinpoint crystal ball projections for the top-five prospect, he recently visited the Plains on September 13, a month later than his most recent visit to Georgia Tech.

Tiller averaged 12.2 points to go along with 9.4 rebounds per game during his time with the City Reapers of the Overtime Elite league last season. He improved that scoring average to 15.6 points per game in the postseason, where he helped lead his squad to a championship for the second season in a row.

With a 7-3 wingspan and 9-3 standing reach, Tiller has the physical tools to translate his high school averages to the SEC. If he were to join Bruce Pearl on the Plains, the 19-year-old would likely help assume the front-court role opened by the departures of [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] and [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag] in 2025. We’ll see if he exchanges his Overtime Elite status for an Auburn cap when he announces this weekend.

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In photos: No. 4 Auburn throttles Kent State to move to 3-0

Auburn overcomes a mid-game lull to take down the Golden Flashes, 79-56 on Wednesday.

The No. 4 Auburn Tigers earned its third win of the 2024-25 season on Wednesday, taking down Kent State, 79-56 at Neville Arena in Auburn.

Auburn (3-0) got off to a hot start by racing out to a 30-8 lead with 7:10 to go in the first half. Auburn then hit a mid-game lull by allowing Kent State (2-1) to cut the lead to 41-37 with 15:38 remaining in the game before going on a surge that ended with a 23-point victory.

Auburn’s three-point shooting was off as they shot just 25% from beyond-the-arc, but four Tigers still managed to reach double-figures in the game led by and 18-point effort by [autotag]Chaney Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag]. Broome also logged 12 rebounds to secure his first double-double of the season.

Here is a look at the best photos from Auburn’s 79-56 win over Kent State on Wednesday at Neville Arena.

Johni Broome takes home SEC Player of the Week honors

Auburn’s best player has already added the weekly award to his senior season resume.

Auburn forward [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] won the first of what is expected to be many accolades during his final collegiate season on Monday. Auburn’s best, and most impactful, player was bestowed SEC Player of the Week honors after leading his Tigers to a perfect 2-0 start to the season.

The 6-10 superstar was solid in Auburn’s opener against Vermont, but erupted into dominant form in the Tigers’ neutral-site win over No. 4 Houston, scoring 20 points alongside nine rebounds, five blocks, three assists, and two steals. Broome now has 32 points, 16 boards, seven blocks, five assists, and three steals through Auburn’s first two contests.

Last season’s SEC Tournament MVP, the Plant City, Florida native has much bigger plans for his final season on the Plains than winning conference player of the week. Still, the honor shows Broome can become the best player in the conference over any given stretch, which could prove pivotal to [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]’s team’s success throughout a long SEC basketball campaign.

Broome is unlikely to defend his Player of the Week title in the second seven-day stretch of the campaign as Auburn only plays one game this week, on Wednesday against Kent State. The Tigers get busy shortly after that as the team travels to Maui for the Maui Invitational after another home contest against North Alabama.

The Tigers open the Maui Invitational against No. 7 Iowa State on Nov. 25. Broome and Auburn could also face any combination of No. 3 UConn, No. 11 North Carolina, and perennial Final Four threat Michigan State during their stay in Hawaii.

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Auburn dismantles Vermont for resounding opening night victory

Auburn let loose with a 94-43 victory in front of a packed Neville Arena

The 2024-2025 Auburn Tigers are an extremely well-rounded basketball team.

After an exhibition season which saw Bruce Pearl’s team win two games in extremely lopsided fashion, Auburn let loose in front of a packed Neville Arena to open up the regular season, taking down Vermont 94-43 in ridiculously efficient fashion. Auburn outscored the Catamounts 46-21 in an up-and-down first half before showing off on the defensive end to open up the second stanza, dispelling any hopes of a Vermont comeback with a 16-0 run to open the frame.

Five of the nine Tigers that saw double-digit minutes on Wednesday night finished with at least 10 points. Georgia Tech transfer [autotag]Miles Kelly[/autotag] led the way, welcoming himself onto the Plains in heroic fashion to the tune of 21 points on 7 3-point field goals. [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] may have been overshadowed by Kelly and Denver Jones’s 16 points, but the All-SEC forward was his usual, dominant self in a 12-point, 7-rebound, 2-block effort.

Newcomer [autotag]JP Pegues[/autotag] filled point guard the role previously held by Aden Holloway and Tre Donaldson phenomenally. The Furman transfer showed immediately he could handle Bruce Pearl’s extensively complicated offense with a perfect 3/3 shooting night to go along with 4 rebounds, an assist, and two steals. Second year Tiger Chad Baker-Mazara was also his normal, stat-stuffing self in an 11-point, 3-rebound, 2-assist effort. Surprisingly, the Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native did not swipe away a steal or block.

While Auburn wasn’t quite able to reach triple-digit scoring numbers in the opener. the Tigers offense played about as well it has since Bruce Pearl took over as the head coach. While free throw shooting was sub-par (6/10), Miles Kelly, Denver Jones, and the Tigers shot 56% from the field in the win, including an impressive 16/35 mark from beyond the arc.

Auburn will need to continue shooting the ball efficiently well over the course of a non-conference schedule that may be the hardest the Tigers have ever encountered. The waters get much more wavy as soon as Saturday, when Auburn takes on No. 4 ranked Houston at the Toyota Center in Houston. Head coach Kelvin Sampon’s Cougars, who are historically known for their defense, held Jackson State to just 40 points in an equally as impressive 97-40 opening night victory.

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Auburn takes down FAU in final tune up before season

The Tigers thrashed a 2022 Final Four team in its final preseason tune-up over the weekend.

The Auburn Tigers finished off an undefeated preseason exhibition run with a 102-70 thrashing of the Florida Atlantic Owls on Friday at Neville Arena in Auburn.

FAU, who reached the Final Four two seasons ago before receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament last season, is not expected to contend for another postseason spot this year after head coach Dusty May departed for Michigan in the offseason.

Even with May, and stars such as Johnell Davis, who is now an Arkansas Razorback, no longer with the Owls, the lopsided victory was still an important and impressive result for a Tigers team hoping to reach the Final Four for the first time since 2019 this season. Superstar forward [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] led the way for [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]’s squad, chipping in 15 points and nine rebounds while stuffing the stat sheet with four blocks and a pair of steals as well.

The backcourt quartet of [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag] (13 points), [autotag]JP Pegues[/autotag] (11 points), [autotag]Tahaad Pettiford[/autotag] (12 points), and [autotag]Miles Kelly[/autotag] (15 points) supplied just over half of the Tigers points in the contest, further cementing the idea that [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] may possess the deepest and most talented composite of guards since he took over as the Tigers head coach.

With the offensive firepower supplied by the backcourt and Broome, forward [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag] is expected to take a facilitator role in Bruce Pearl’s offense. The senior displayed that fully in the exhibition, finishing with a team-high six assists to go along with his 2 steals and block. Perhaps most impressively, the second-year Tiger turned the ball over just once.

Six of the ten Tigers that saw at least 10 minutes of action in Friday’s exhibition scored double-digit points, while [autotag]Chaney Johnson[/autotag] (seven points) and [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag] (six points) added a combined 12 rebounds. Bruce Pearl has made it a point to display extremely deep and talented rotations during his last few seasons on the Plains, and this iteration of the Tigers may be the most talented group he’s compiled during his tenure.

The No. 11 ranked Tigers will look to prove that sentiment when the regular season tips off on November 6 against perennial American East powerhouse Vermont. Auburn will be put to the test right away following the home opener, as the Tigers have a date with No. 4 ranked Houston in Birmingham on November 9.

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In photos: Auburn takes the podium at SEC Media Day

Bruce Pearl, Denver Jones, and Johni Broome addressed the media Tuesday at SEC Media Day in Mountain Brook.

The college basketball season is just around the corner. Evidence of that could be seen during Tuesday’s SEC Media Day at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Mountain Brook, Alabama, just outside of Birmingham.

Head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag], forward [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag], and guard [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag] represented Auburn during the event, where they fielded questions from the media regarding the upcoming season. Jones, who is working toward becoming the team’s point guard, spoke about how Pearl is working to prepare him for his new role.

“He was teaching me a lot — deep in detail about my footwork, being able to shoot floaters, because I’m not gonna be able to get to the rim every single time in this league,” Jones said Tuesday. “Obviously, like, helping with my passing ability — there are a lot of attributes that come with playing point guard, and I feel like he prepared me for that.”

Photographers snapped great shots of Pearl, Broome, and Jones during their stay in Mountain Brook. Here are the best photos from Auburn’s time at SEC Media Day on Tuesday.

Broome and Baker-Mazara earn preseason All-SEC honors

Expect Broome and Baker-Mazara to have big seasons in 2024-25!

The 2024-2025 college basketball season is quickly approaching as media days get underway for many conferences and preseason polls make their debut. The nation is also getting a look at what players will be worth keeping an eye on this season, which Auburn has a couple of.

[autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] and [autotag]Chad Baker-Mazara[/autotag] both earned preseason All-SEC honors this year, with Broome being named to the First Team and Baker-Mazara to the Third Team. Broome was also nearly tabbed as the preseason SEC Player of the Year, but was edged out by Mark Sears of Alabama.

Both players had tremendous seasons last year and look to do more of the same on the court in just a matter of weeks.

Broome was far and away the Tigers’ leading scorer last year with 576 points, averaging 24.8 points per game. He also was one of the team’s most reliable shooters, converting 54.8% of his shots from the field. He shot 35.4% from distance, but also had his struggles from the free throw line, where he posted a 61.5% success rate.

Broome was also electric on the defensive side of the ball, averaging 8.5 rebounds per game to go with his 31 steals and 78 blocks.

To compliment his SEC Tournament MVP trophy from last year, Broome was also named to the All-SEC First Team and SEC All-Defensive Team for his stellar performance.

Baker-Mazara also completed his first year on the Plains with some big production numbers. He was third on the team in scoring, posting 350 points on the year while shooting 45.2% from the field. He excelled behind the arc though, shooting 41.8% on the year, which tied as the team’s best percentage with [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag].

Baker-Mazara also made plays all over the floor, racking up 77 assists on the year, while forcing 36 steals and 17 blocks on defense to cause disruption.

His play in the SEC Tournament earned him a spot on the SEC-All Tournament Team, something he looks to improve on and earn again in his senior season.

Auburn takes the court for the very first time this season on Nov. 1 when it plays FAU in a charity exhibition game at Neville Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CST.

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Auburn earns No. 2 spot in preseason SEC Poll

Auburn has sky-high expectations coming off a season in which the Tigers won 27 games

The Southeastern Conference released its preseason media poll on Monday. Auburn, who won the conference tournament last March after finishing third in the season-long standings, has been tabbed at the second best team in the conference.

The Poll, which ranks each SEC team from top to bottom, lists Alabama as the top team in the conference. Tennessee ranks just behind Auburn at the No. 3 spot, followed by Arkansas (4) and Texas A&M (5) to round out the top 5. Not only did the Crimson Tide edge out Bruce Pearl’s Tigers for the top spot in the team ranking, but Alabama star guard Mark Sears was able to claim the preseason Player of the Year accolade over Johni Broome as well.

Auburn’s high ranking in the SEC preseason poll comes shortly after the Tigers were given the No. 3 spot in Ken Pomeroy’s “KenPom Rankings”. Interestingly, Alabama comes in one spot behind Auburn, at No. 4, according to KenPom. Either way, it’s clear Auburn has sky-high expectations coming off a season in which the Tigers won 27 games. With transfer talent infused into what was already a very deep and solid core rotation, Bruce Pearl’s squad will have every opportunity to go deep into March when 2025 rolls around.

The Tigers will hope difficult non-conference schedule, which includes a spot in the Maui Invitational and a trip to Cameron Indoor Stadium for the ACC/SEC Challenge, helps them avenge the demons of an early NCAA Tournament exit last season. Auburn’s season tips off on November 6 against Vermont at Neville Arena.

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Where does Johni Broome rank amongst Andy Katz’s top bigs?

The college basketball season is just a few short months away from beginning and Andy Katz has released his top big men for the 2024-25 year

Auburn basketball is preparing for yet another season with the hopes of making its mark against some of the nation’s best teams. It takes a wealth of talent to do that, but the Tigers have some veteran leadership that will at least give them a chance to pick up some quality wins.

One of those leaders that Auburn has returning is big man [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag], who was listed at No. 3 on Andy Katz’s list of top big men heading into the 2024-25 season.

Broome has played a huge part in the success that the Tigers have had since he stepped on the Plains and has consistently made national headlines as a player.

In the 2023-24 campaign, Broome started 34 of 35 games for the year and was a 54.8% shooter, scoring 576 points and leading the team in that category. He also was a 61.5% free throw shooter as well.

He totaled 299 rebounds, averaging 8.5 for game, being a tough rebounder to go up against. Broome also recorded 78 blocks and 31 steals, cementing himself as a force to be reckoned with on shot attempts.

The two big men that Katz listed ahead of Broome are Kansas center Hunter Dickinson and Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner.

Auburn will see what Broome can do this season in his final campaign under head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag], as the team faces the likes of Houston, Iowa State, Duke, Ohio State and Purdue as part of the nonconference schedule.

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