With a simple declaration on Twitter the featured a graphic saying, “I’m Back,” Plant City native Johni Broome announced that he would be returning to Auburn for his senior season.
After two years at Plant City High School and two years at Tampa Catholic, Broome made his way to Morehead State where he averaged 13.8 points and nine rebounds per game while racking up accolades as a freshman. By season’s end — playing in the Ohio Valley Conference — he had garnered OVC Freshman of the Year, first-team All-OVC, OVC All-Newcomer Team, OVC All-Tournament Team, OVC Tournament MVP and nine different OVC Freshman of the Week awards en route to MSU’s first conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011. As for MSU, Broome set freshman records for total rebounds (271) and blocks (56). As a sophomore, Broome led the Eagles to a 23-11 record and a second consecutive appearance in the OVC Conference Championship behind a team-high 16.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game. His mark for blocks was good for the third-best mark in Division I college basketball last season, and his mark for rebounds was ninth-best. Broome was named OVC Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and his 131 total blocks were not only a single-season record for MSU, but finished as a higher total than eight other OVC teams as a combined unit.
After entering the transfer portal and making his way to Auburn last spring, Broome posted a team-high 14.2 points per game for the Tigers, along with 8.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game as Auburn finished the year with a 21-13 record and an appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament where they ultimately fell to 1-seed Houston.
Broome then declared for the NBA Draft in April and left a strong impression at the NBA’s Draft Combine in May, while keeping his college eligibility. In late May, Broome made his official decision to return to Auburn for his senior season where he will once again headline a Tigers team that could very well compete for their first SEC Championship since 2019.