Prior to the Auburn Tigers and Georgia Bulldogs meeting on Saturday, Feb. 22, Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl spoke about the impact Johni Broome will have in the second meeting with Georgia.
Bruce Pearl Declares Johni Broome the Best Player in College Basketball, Notes His Importance Against Georgia’s Front Line
When the Tigers and Bulldogs last met on Jan. 18, Auburn came away with a 70-68 victory. Asa Newell, the Bulldogs’ freshman star, missed a layup with 0.3 seconds left that would’ve pushed the game into overtime.
Auburn, currently ranked No. 1 nationally, was still the top-ranked team in the country when they visited Athens, GA, in January. They escaped with a win — despite not having their best player, senior forward Johni Broome.
As the Tigers and Bulldogs meet today at 4:00 PM ET, Bruce Pearl made clear how important Broome’s availability is against Georgia — with a strong declaration.
Bruce Pearl on having Johni Broome for Auburn’s second game against Georgia:
“I think it’s obviously gonna be a huge boost for us. He’s the best player in college basketball.”
(📹: Auburn University) pic.twitter.com/dkv0pnBE9Q
— Max Cohan (@MaxCohan) February 21, 2025
It’s not hard to make the case; Broome is averaging 18.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.6 blocks per game, a terrific stat line that sounds even better when it’s taken into account that he’s been the engine behind the No. 1 team in the country for the majority of the season.
The 6’10, 240-pound forward has looked like a man amongst boys at times this season, with his strength and power combining with a deft touch around the rim and in the midrange. Not a particularly high-scorer per-se, Broome has been as steady as can be; he only has two games in which he didn’t reach double figure scoring — but he exited both of those games early due to injury.
His innate passing ability at his size makes everyone around him better. He’s tied for fifth in the country in rebounding — something that will come in handy against Georgia’s slew of big men.
“Georgia has a really deep front line, and so we were definitely down bodies at Georgia,” Pearl said. “But Georgia’s really good inside. This is a very good front line. Asa Newell will be a lottery pick as a power forward and they’ve got a three-headed monster at center, all three of those guys do different things.”
Pearl continued to emphasize Broome’s impact, saying, “Georgia’s got a very talented, very deep front line, that getting Johni back will be a big boost.”
As Pearl mentioned, the 6’11, 220-pound Newell has been a force for Georgia all season. Only a freshman, he’s averaging 15.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He had a good performance against the Tigers in the first matchup, scoring 16 points and gathering 10 rebounds.
Newell will be at the top of the scouting report for Pearl and Tigers — but having Broome back healthy for the second meeting should mask defensive errors. Along with his excellence offensively, Broome’s 2.6 blocks per game rank ninth in the country.
KEEP READING: ‘This Is Why You Play for Bruce Pearl’ — Fans In Awe After Auburn’s Win Over Alabama
Although Auburn is talented enough to sustain some success when he’s been out, the Tigers are at their best when Broome is in the mix. After all, he’s the teams’ best player — and potentially the best player in the country.
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