STULTZ: Broome's return brings all-time high expectations
Expectations for Auburn basketball changed the moment Bruce Pearl stepped on campus. It was his job to take a dormant cellar-dweller program to better times.
It took time, but great things have come under his watch, including this past season's SEC Tournament title.
When Auburn made its run to the Final Four in 2019, there were hopes that that team would go deep in the tournament—the next season brought the same kind of hope. When Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler arrived, the mood around the program was that they could be good, but no one expected them to rise to All-America status and a No. 1 ranking.
For the next two seasons, expectations were tempered. Sure, Auburn fans everywhere were hoping (key word is hoping) that Johni Broome, Jaylin Williams and the rest of the crew would have a great season, but there were still some questions.
Not anymore. Not this coming season. With Broome announcing on Wednesday that he's returning for his last season, hope went out the window, and high expectations—SEC title, Final Four, national title—are now on the minds of everyone inside and outside the program.
Pearl likely isn't done compiling next year's roster, but the pieces are there for something extraordinary. While he hasn't confirmed, the team's voice and leader, Chris Moore, will likely return. His presence in the locker room can't be emphasized enough.
Dylan Cardwell, the face and fan favorite, who made vast improvements this past season, is also running it back. Chad Baker-Mazara, Denver Jones and Chaney Johnson will be in an Auburn uniform for their second years.
The addition of JP Pegues brings something the Tigers have needed in the past few years: a veteran presence at point guard. He's a Jared Harper-like difference-maker who will create his own shot while playing at his own pace. The thought of him using Broome or Cardwell in the pick-and-roll game will keep opposing coaches up at night.
And while we don't know how Tahaad Pettiford will adjust to the college game, the McDonald's All-American is fearless driving to the rim.
That brings us back to Broome. It's not usual for any team to return an All-America pick, especially Auburn, but that is what Pearl and the Tigers are getting back in 2024-25. His staying raised everyone's expectations from the could-be-a-good team to the should-be-a-good team.
That's something new for this program. If this past year's team was sort of a surprise, much like the 1998-99 Auburn basketball team, then the expectations for next season are 1999-2000. It would be shocking if the Tigers aren't in every preseason top 10 and aren't the favorites to win the SEC.
It's something Pearl, his staff and players must get used to. The target will be on their backs from media days until March (or, if this team lives up to the hype, April). Moore and Cardwell witnessed this three seasons ago when the Tigers reached the top of the rankings. They can tell their teammates what it will be like, but they will only realize how big the target is once they are in the battle.
Expectations are at an all-time high for this team. Buckle up.