Following an unfathomable first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Yale, the future of Auburn star forward Johni Broome was entirely up in the air.
The junior had seemingly taken a large enough leap offensively to declare for the NBA Draft. He could have also tested the transfer portal waters to join a dominant contender if he felt the Tigers’ prospects weren’t great for the 2024-25 season.
Nonetheless, Broome quickly declared he was staying on the Plains for his final year of eligibility in a social media video shortly after the season ended. Despite the efforts of multiple high-level programs reaching out to Broome and an NBA Combine workout waiting, the star was always thinking about returning.
Before teeing off at the Bruce Pearl Fore the Children Golf Classic in Alexander City on Monday, Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said that Broome was not interested in exploring the NBA draft despite his high numbers last season. He also says that Auburn’s fair treatment of Broome knocked the transfer portal off the table.
“As far as the transfer portal, that wasn’t an option for (Broome) or his family. They wanted to be treated fairly and the collective treated them fairly,” Pearl said. “We’re happy to have him back.”
With the question mark surrounding Broome’s immediate future now turned into a period, Auburn is set to go into the 2024-2025 season with one of the more loaded rosters in college basketball. The senior will again lead the Tigers on both ends of the floor when they open their season in November.
