AUBURN, Alabama — As was the case with johnson in Georgia in 2021, bruce pearl he knew one of the best players on the transfer portal well, thanks to Auburn’s matchup against him.
Pearl called for the transfer of the Morehead estate Johni Broome the main target on the board for the Tigers this offseason, and Auburn got to see his skills firsthand in last year’s season opener. facing against Walker Kessler at center position, the 6-foot-10, 235-pound Broome was a “big focus” of Auburn’s scouting report.
“He’s extremely skilled,” Kessler, now in the NBA with the Utah Jazz, said this week, speaking to reports about Broome before an Auburn practice. “Getting into that game and just understanding how fine he was and how skilled he was. A banger, very good touch around the rim, a southpaw.
“He’s going to do great things for Auburn.”
Broome, the only transfer addition for Auburn this offseason, is expected to be Kessler’s immediate replacement at No. 5 this season. He has been on campus all summer and will speak with his new teammates for the first time this week during Auburn’s foreign tour of Israel.
“The pace is much faster, the game is much faster,” Broome told reporters Thursday before an Auburn practice. “Much more physical. I would say that the most important thing is just the level of communication. It is much more talk. You have to talk about each and every possession, for yourself and your companions. And Bruce and the guys, we just create a family environment. Everyone gets along. The entire coaching staff is involved and energetic. They bring the energy every day.”
Broome, last season’s Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year, averaged 16.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game. He finished with 23 double-doubles on the season and shot 55.5% from the ground.
His blocks per game clip was No. 3 in college basketball, with Kessler, the national defensive player of the year, ranking first. Broome said that when he saw Kessler’s highlights, he loved the freedom with which he could play defense, and that was just one of the reasons Auburn was an attractive option for him in the transfer market.
“On the defensive end, they allow him to impact the game,” Broome said of Kessler. “And that’s, like, why I wanted to watch. He impacted the game on the defensive end, and on the offensive end, they let him open up the floor and shoot the 3-pointer — lots of blocks and rolls, lots of lob opportunities. They just let him play and he looked like he was enjoying himself. So that’s what I saw, and that’s why I wanted to join.”
Broome chose Auburn over Florida, marking Pearl’s first victory over his former assistant, golden toddin the SEC.
Last season in the Ohio Valley Conference, Broome, previously a three-star draft pick out of Tampa, routinely dominated the basket; he ranked fourth in college basketball with 23 double-doubles on the season, only failing to reach double digits twice all year.
“He’s hard on himself,” Pearl said. “He would love to come here and dominate every day in practice like he did at Morehead State and at OVC. But now he is playing at a higher level. He absolutely belongs. … Will he continue to dominate on the inside like he did at that level? He is working on it.
“He’s quick on his feet, so he can guard multiple positions. A big can that you can change and protect, that’s great. … He has an established mid-range jumper, and he is working on extending his 3-ball shot.”
Broome said that, through the morning sessions, he has already developed a strong relationship with Auburn’s seasoned defense trio: Wendell Green Jr., johnson Y jasper zep. Kessler was an All-American last year not just because of his defensive skills, but in large part because of the way his guards gave him the ball on pick-and-rolls or alley oops. Broome is a different player, of course, with a more polished back-to-the-basket offensive skill game, but that same front-back chemistry will still need to exist in 2022-23 for Auburn to chase an SEC Championship. again.
“Even if it’s 6:30 in the morning, just walking into the gym with these guys and seeing the type of shots they can make, it gives me confidence,” Broome said of Auburn’s backcourt.
Auburn’s first game in Israel will be against the Israel U-20 National Team on Tuesday (noon CST, SEC Network).
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