The combination of No. 1 Tennessee’s loss at Florida and a 2-0 week for Auburn could mean the No. 2 Tigers will take over the top spot in the AP Top 25 poll Monday. But looming large over Saturday’s dramatic 66-63 win vs. South Carolina is the status of star center Johni Broome, who left the game with a sprained left ankle.
Broome exited the Tigers’ victory at South Carolina with a gruesome ankle injury in the second half after landing awkwardly following his attempt to block a shot. Broome leads the No. 2 Tigers in scoring, rebounding, blocks and assists.
The 6-foot-10 big man put no weight on his left foot as he was helped off the floor by members of the Auburn staff. Tigers coach Bruce Pearl termed the injury as a “significant sprain” in an SEC Network interview and said Broome would undergo an MRI when the team returned to Auburn.
The injury occurred at the 13:45 mark with South Carolina leading 47-45. Broome had six points and three rebounds when he exited. Auburn (15-1, 3-0 SEC) gritted through a challenging second half without its top star, withstanding a 25-point performance from South Carolina star Collin Murray-Boyles.
Nearly four minutes elapsed without a point from either team late in the game as South Carolina nursed a 63-62 lead. But then a Dylan Cardwell dunk with 1:32 remaining gave Auburn a lead that it did not relinquish.
As a fifth-year member of the Auburn program and reliable interior presence, Cardwell could see a bigger role if Broome is forced to miss any game action. But there is no way to replace what Broome brings to the Tigers.
Designated a second-team All-American in the preseason by CBS Sports, Broome entered Saturday’s action ranked second in the SEC in scoring at 18.7 points per game and first in the conference in rebounds (11.2) and blocks (2.7). The former Morehead State star has steadily improved his game during each of his three seasons with the Tigers. Offensively, Broome’s game now extends to the 3-point line, and his 3.4 assists per game in the 2024-25 season are a career-high.
Saturday wasn’t the first time Broome exited a game this season following an injury scare. Just three minutes into a win over Georgia State last month, Broome checked out with an apparent injury to his right shoulder. He underwent an MRI but was cleared to return for the team’s next game against Purdue.
