Auburn proved it’s more than a one-man team

Johni Broome’s performance in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 and Elite Eight showed why he’s one of the nation’s top players.

Auburn’s play without Broome showed why the Tigers are more than a oneman team. That’s especially important as Auburn hopes to have a healthy Broome against Florida in Saturday’s Final Four showdown in San Antonio of Southeastern Conference teams.

Broome gave Auburn a major scare when he took a fall in the second half of Sunday’s 70-64 victory over Michigan State and headed to the locker room. The 6-foot-10 forward’s right arm was hanging by his side as he left the court, giving reason to wonder if the Tigers’ championship hopes had been crushed.

After being given clearance by the team’s medical staff, Broome returned to sink a 3-pointer, grab a rebound and finish the South Region final with 25 points and 14 rebounds.

Just as important as Broome’s return was the Tigers’ play without him. When Broome left with 10:37 remaining, Auburn led 50-40. The lead was 57-46 when he made his return with 5:29 remaining.

“When Johni was out, we hung in there,” said Auburn coach Bruce Pearl. “We made it difficult for Michigan State to score.”

Pearl said he remained confident even before knowing Broome would return because center Dylan Cardwell and backup Chaney Johnson provide quality depth on the front line.

“When Johni went out, I immediately thought about Chaney and Dylan, and neither of them went into foul trouble,” Pearl said. “I knew that we were going to be fine there.”

Broome, a two-time Associated Press All-America and this season’s SEC Player of the Year, is the biggest reason Auburn (32-5) has set a school record for wins.

“Johni Broome stepped up again,” Pearl said after Sunday’s win. “Just keep doubting him, and keep thinking that he’s not going to be able to get to another gear. … You talk about delivering again at the biggest moments.”

Auburn already proved in the South Regional it also boasts scoring depth.

Broome was only one of three 20-point scorers for the Tigers in their 78-65 Sweet 16 win over Michigan on Friday night. Tahaad Pettiford and Denver Jones each scored 20 points while Broome took the lead as usual with 22 points and 16 rebounds.

Broome said despite the double-double he didn’t feel he played well. When asked how he would rate his performance against Michigan State, Broome said he played “All right.

“I mean, we won, so I’m happy we’re still in this,” Broome said. “All glory to God again for allowing me to be healthy.”

Auburn will need inside and scoring depth against Florida. The Gators took a 90-81 win at Auburn on Feb. 8. Florida reached the Final Four by beating Texas Tech 84-79 in the West Region final.

“I mean, Florida has a great team,” Johnson said. “They were good enough to beat us at home, so we’ve just got to go game by game. It’s another team in the way of us getting to the national championship. So we’ve just got to continue putting our head down, continue staying humble, continue staying hungry. Just go out there and play with great effort and great energy.”

Pitino hits transfer portal

NEW YORK (AP) — St. John’s coach Rick Pitino has already been busy replenishing his roster in the transfer portal.

Coming off its most successful season in decades, the school announced two significant signings Monday — former Arizona State guard Joson Sanon and ex-Providence forward Bryce Hopkins.

They should help replace RJ Luis Jr., a second-team All-American and the 2025 Big East Player of the Year. Luis is declaring for the NBA draft while retaining his eligibility and entering the portal, his agent told ESPN last weekend.

St. John’s also loses seniors Kadary Richmond, Aaron Scott and Deivon Smith, meaning four of its top five scorers from 2024-25 won’t be back next season. They teamed with power forward Zuby Ejiofor to lead the Red Storm to a pair of Big East championships this year and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament before they lost to 10th-seeded Arkansas 7566 in the second round.

The 19-year-old Sanon, a five-star prospect coming out of high school, averaged 11.9 points in 28.3 minutes per game during his freshman season with the Sun Devils and has three years of eligibility remaining.

“Joson is a great shooter, really good athlete and has absolutely outstanding potential,” Pitino, the 72-yearold Hall of Fame coach, said in a news release.