Many players are withdrawing from the 2023 NBA draft and Auburn's Johni Broome is among them. He has announced that he is returning to the college basketball ranks for the upcoming season.
This will have a huge impact on the SEC as the Auburn Tigers look to become more of a threat.
What does Johni Broome bring to the Auburn Tigers?
Johni Broome is a large presence for the Auburn Tigers as he is 6-10, 235 pounds and has played well in three college basketball seasons.
Last year was his first with Auburn, after playing for the Morehead State Eagles in his freshman and sophomore seasons.
He was a starter in all 33 games he appeared in as he played 26.5 minutes and averaged 14.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.9 steals, and 2.4 blocks per game.
Broome has proven to be a huge force for how this Auburn team is going to do as they finished 21-13 (10-8) a year ago.
He needs to work on his free-throw shooting as that seems to be his Achilles heel. In the NCAA Tournament game against the Houston Cougars, Broome finished going just 6-for-16 from the charity stripe.
How will Johni Broome and Auburn perform next season?
Last season, Johni Broome led the program in points, rebounds, and blocks per game. Auburn currently has three newcomers slated for the program next season with five-star freshman guard Aden Holloway, a guard transferring from FIU Denver Jones, and UAH forward Chaney Johnson.
The program has been trying to be a lot more competitive, but there are a lot of talented teams in the SEC right now. Alabama was the top-ranked program, Texas A&M was 17th, Tennessee was 20th, and Missouri was 23rd. That does not include programs like Vanderbilt and Kentucky, which they are trying to match up against.
The Auburn Tigers have been a middle-of-the-road program in the SEC and can continue to compete. They should easily make the NCAA Tournament next season as they are one of the top 68 programs in the country.
Expect Broome to continue improving throughout the regular season and get to the point where he can be a top prospect in the 2024 NBA draft.
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