"WTF is this" "Leave room for Jesus": Fans left in splits as Auburn star Johni Broome's locker room interview with Talia Baia goes viral

Auburn forward Johni Broome has been dealing with an elbow injury sustained during the No. 1-seeded Tigers' 70-64 win over the Michigan State Spartans on Monday evening.

Broome returned to close out the game and tallied 25 points, 14 rebounds and two assists to lead the Tigers to a Final Four clash against the dominant Florida Gators.

In an interview with ESPN student reporter Talia Baia, Broome revealed how he intended to approach the game against the Gators after Florida won 90-81 on the road against the Tigers in February.

"I played bad versus Florida the last time we played," Johni Broome said. "So, hopefully, I'll bring a different momentum to this game."

College basketball fans on X had mixed reactions to Broome being interviewed by Baia.

Some fans made fun of the close proximity between Baia and Broome during the interview.

"Literally wtf is this interview," one fan tweeted.

"Leave room for Jesus," another fan tweeted.

"Are you close enough?" One fan tweeted.

Johni Broome available for spicy Final Four game

Johni Broome has been in rehabilitation all week after his elbow injury against the Michigan State Spartans in the Elite Eight, but he practiced with the team for the first time on Thursday.

During his pregame news conference before the clash against the Florida Gators, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl confirmed that the Tigers forward would be available for the team's Final Four game.

"Well, I'm glad he feels that way (about being 100 percent)," Pearl said. "Today was the first day he moved and practiced, so I was glad to see him. Obviously, it was good to see him out there, and the one thing Johni Broome showed in this NCAA tournament is that there was another level."

Broome has been one of the standout players in the country and, alongside Duke Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg, is one of the favorites for the National Player of the Year Award. He has averaged 18.7 points on 51.2% shooting from the floor and 28.4% shooting from beyond the arc, 10.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists this season.

Pearl revealed that the Tigers would not take it easy on the returning star despite his lingering injury.

"Everybody keeps watching him and wondering, 'When is he going to fizzle? When is he going to not show up?' And he just, again, managed to step up," Pearl said. "He was 10-for-13 against Michigan State, and that was a huge difference for us.

"Look, Florida recognizes that, and Florida's bigs are a little bigger and a little bit more athletic than Michigan State's or Michigan's bigs. But he was the MVP of the South Region and we rode him hard, and we're going to ride him hard again on Saturday."

Should the Tigers win against the Gators, there's a possibility that Johni Broome will play against National Player of the Year opponent Cooper Flagg's Duke Blue Devils in the national championship game.