Subscribe
Follow Us
The Auburn basketball team has looked like a powerhouse so far this season, knocking off a number of top teams on its way to winning the Maui Invitational tournament before finally dropping a game on the road against Duke. Tuesday night did nothing to change that, as Bruce Pearl and the Tigers dominated Georgia State in a 100-59 victory.
Despite the final score, things didn't go as smoothly as Pearl and company would have hoped. Star big man Johni Broome went out with a shoulder injury after playing just two minutes and did not return to the game.
After the game, Pearl provided an update on his superstar's status, via The Next Round.
"His right shoulder came out and came right back. He did it a year ago…We'll take a look at it tomorrow and tell you more. We hope he's going to be OK." – Bruce Pearl on the status of Johni Broome after he was injured early in Auburn's win over Georgia State pic.twitter.com/TGM9qIWYbf
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) December 18, 2024
“His right shoulder kinda came out and came right back [in],” Pearl said postgame. “He did it a year ago, so he's had some experience with it. We'll take a look at it tomorrow and tell you more. Hope he's gonna be OK.”
Broome's absence didn't hurt Auburn in this game, but it would be a huge loss going forward. He was a monster in all three of the Tigers' wins down in Maui and is on the short list of National Player of the Year candidates as the non-conference season nears its end.
If Broome is forced to miss any time, backup big man Chaney Johnson would likely step in and handle a lot of that workload that Broome had been managing. Johnson handled that responsibility easily on Tuesday night, finishing with 26 points, eight rebounds and four assists on 12-for-14 shooting.
Article Continues Below
Auburn may be without Johni Broome for huge Purdue clash
While most teams are winding down before the holiday break and the start of conference play, Auburn will continue to roll through its gauntlet of brutal matchups outside of the SEC. Now, it looks like Johni Broome may miss the last one.
On Saturday, Auburn will host No. 16 Purdue in a huge matchup of SEC and Big Ten powerhouses. The Boilermakers haven't been playing their best basketball of late and are dealing with a big man injury of their own, but their elite guards still present a stiff challenge for any team.
If Broome's shoulder isn't good to go in four days for that one, it will give Purdue a great chance to pull off an upset, even on the road. However, Auburn may be wise to sit its star even if he thinks he can play at less than 100%.
If Broome sits out on Saturday, he won't have to return until Jan. 4 for the SEC conference opener against Missouri. That would give him almost three weeks to recover, which would certainly be beneficial given the repeated nature of the injury. This Auburn basketball team also has a game on Dec. 30 against Monmouth, but Pearl and company likely don't need Broome on the floor to easily handle business in that one.
