This past November, Johni Broome took the floor at Neville Arena (then Auburn Arena) wearing a Morehead State jersey. He was the star player for the Eagles, going up against an Auburn team that would earn the program's first-ever No. 1 ranking and win the SEC regular season title. The forward remembers how insane the environment was.
"It was crazy," Broome said. "The whole gym was packed. The whole student section was full an hour and a half before warm-ups. I came into the gym with my headphones on, but you could still hear the crowd yelling at you, screaming your name, trying to distract you and get you out of your element."
The next time he exits the locker room and takes the floor for a game in the arena, he will be donning orange and blue. Broome was one of the critical pickups for Bruce Pearl's squad this past offseason, bringing credentials that could rival anyone in college basketball. The Plant City, Fla., native was named to the First-team All-OVC roster in both seasons at Morehead State while earning the conference's Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and Freshman of the Year and conference tournament MVP in 2021. As Wendell Green Jr. puts it, he's not a newcomer to the college game.
"College basketball isn't something that's new to him," the guard said. "He looks good. He's finding his way in the offense, getting his touches."
Broome still has a transition period as he joins a new team and more powerful conference. The 6-foot-10 forward recognizes that the game is faster in the SEC and more physical. Yet the most significant difference for him has come in communication.
"It's a lot more talking," Broome said. "You have to talk each and every possession for yourself and your teammates."
His coach has seen him as an opponent (Broome finished with 12 points and eight rebounds against the Tigers last season) and now as an asset on his team. Already, he's seen Broome take his game to another level.
"He absolutely belongs, every single day," Pearl said. "A great, great kid. He's a very conscientious kid. Hard on himself. Would love to come out and dominate every day at practice like he dominated in the OVC and Morehead State."
More of a post player, Broome is working on expanding his offensive abilities, something he's doing to reach his potential in Pearl's offense. Instead of trickling back into the post, he's learning to space the floor more as he can play the four and five positions. Broome attempted just five three-point shots last season, missing each attempt, but Pearl is confident that part of his game will come around with practice.
"He's got a good, a very established mid-ranged jump shot," the coach said.
Possibly, more importantly, is his defense. He finished third in blocks in 2021-22, swatting away 131 shots, a piece of the team Auburn must replace with Walker Kessler, who led the nation with 155 blocks, moving to the NBA. He can also guard multiple positions, having quick feet for a big man.
Broome joins a frontcourt full of talent with the return of Jaylin Williams, Chris Moore, Dylan Cardwell and newcomer Yohan Traore, who the transfer called "the real deal."
"Yohan's really good, really talented," Broome said. "(He can) shoot the three, has a nice mid-range, can get to the rack. He's long, can play defense."
Tuesday will be the first time he appears in a game for the Tigers as they take on the Israel U-20 National Team during their trip abroad. And while he is looking forward to his first game in his new home arena in a few months, he says that the entire team is taking these exhibition games seriously.
"Obviously, Auburn fans and the Auburn community want to see how all of us can play, how all of us play together," Broome said. "We want to win like I said. Obviously, this doesn't count, but we still want to win."
