Johni Broome injury update: Auburn star clarifies locker room scare during Michigan St Elite Eight clash

Auburn basketball faced a moment of concern when star player Johni Broome suffered an injury scare during the second half of Sunday’s Elite Eight matchup against Michigan State.

The SEC Player of the Year appeared to injure his elbow and leg at 10:47 of the second half at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The injuries occurred while he was defending Michigan State forward Frankie Fidler in the paint. Broome returned to the game shortly after, securing a rebound and scoring a 3-pointer.

Broome addressed the media and provided an update on his condition, clarifying that the medical staff cleared him to return.

“I went to the locker room, we have a great support staff. I checked my arm out, the doc said, you know, nothing's wrong, you're good, nothing serious. So at that moment, I just wanna help my teammates. And that's coming back out and playing and hitting one shot.

"And grabbing the rebound, I was gonna do it. That was just selling the sideline support, and I was gonna do it. So I came back out, and Dylan needed a break. So I went in for a couple minutes just to help us win," said Broome

Auburn coach Bruce Pearl praised Broome for his ability to step up in key moments.

“Johni Broome stepped up again. … One of the reasons why I'm on him, and my son Steven's on him pretty good, is because I know what he's capable of. I know what he's capable of, and he, talk about delivering again at the biggest moments.” (2:01)

Broome scored 25 points and 14 rebounds in a high-powered game. He repeatedly found success against Michigan State’s big men, working efficiently along the baseline and in the paint.

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“We had better players”: Auburn coach Bruce Pearl after advancing to Final Four

Johni Broome was determined to lead Auburn to the Final Four, overcoming his injury scare to help his team secure victory. With Sunday’s 70-64 win over Michigan State in the South Region final, No. 1 Auburn advanced to the Final Four for only the second time.

In his opening statement of the postgame press conference, Coach Bruce Pearl acknowledged Michigan State’s impressive season but emphasized Auburn’s strength as a team.

“There are 14 in the country that are left, and Auburn is one of them. We couldn't be happier. I want to congratulate Michigan State on an incredible year. We saw them in Maui, and they were good. ...

“…But I felt going in that we were better. I felt like I had better players, and I felt like we, you know, and that's just, that's not a criticism at all. I told our guys right now, we haven't beaten a team yet that I thought was better than us, and that's why we're the overall number one seed…I think the four teams that advanced are the four best teams in the country. That doesn't always happen.”

Auburn now sets its sights on the Final Four in pursuit of a national championship, with Broome’s leadership proving to be a key factor in their deep tournament run.