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The 2nd-ranked Auburn Tigers were in for a much stiffer test than most would've expected on Saturday afternoon, as the unranked South Carolina Gamecocks took a six-point lead into the halftime break against the current National Championship favorites. But even more problematic than an unexpected test on the road against an SEC foe is what may potentially be a serious ankle injury to star forward Johni Broome.
Johni Broome being helped off the court and into the locker room with what appeared to be a left ankle injury. pic.twitter.com/At0Vt8FGBC
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) January 11, 2025
As the above video shows, Johni Broome was helped off the floor without putting any weight on his left ankle on Saturday afternoon, leaving the Tigers short-handed in what remained a tight contest with the Gamecocks late in the 2nd half, which is to be expected when you're playing without one of the very best players in the entire country. Jeff Goodman soon after noted that Broome had been ruled out for the remainder of the afternoon, but Auburn managed to sneak out with a 66-63 win.
Broome entered the weekend as the betting favorite to be named the Naismith Player of the Year at season's end. The 5th-year senior, who was a 3rd-team All-American last year, is leading the Auburn Tigers with 18.7 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. Broome suffered a shoulder strain earlier in the season, but wasn't required to miss any time. This time, however, the Tigers may not get so lucky.
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After the game, Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl told reporters the team believed Broome had suffered, “a significant sprain,” and that they expected he would miss some time.
“That’s what we think. We will get tests tomorrow to make sure,” Pearl said, per Jeff Goodman.
With the win — and Tennessee's blowout loss at the hands of the Florida Gators earlier this week — it's likely that the Tigers will enter next week as the No. 1 team in the country.
