The Tigers enter the 2024-25 season with a unique roster makeup. Auburn has the likes of five-star freshman talents, transfers from power and mid-major conferences and guys who have been with the program for three plus seasons.
Especially in a day in age of so much roster fluidity and constant change, Bruce Pearl’s diverse roster makeup will almost certainly be a strength – like it was last season – again.
“I would look at Auburn being very similar to a year ago. Our greatest strength is going to be our depth. We're going to play 10 guys in double digit minutes, and when we go to our bench, we're not going to drop off. Who and what and when and how is going to be something that's going to be a work in progress throughout the season,” Pearl said on Tuesday at SEC media days in Birmingham, AL.
But the one key ingredient every championship contender needs is a super-star. No. 11 Auburn has its game-changer in fifth-year senior Johni Broome.
“My main goal is a team goal, which is to win the national championship, to make it as far as I can in March Madness. When a team shines, everyone shines individually,” Broome said.
For Auburn to achieve its high goals heading into a season where it's picked to finish second in the SEC and starts the season as No. 3 overall in the Kenpom ratings the Tigers will almost certainly have to lean on the 2023 all-American against its toughest non-conference slate in program history.
“Just coming back this last year, preparation has changed a little bit, obviously, from year to year, and it was kind of getting more shots, being working a little bit more, doing everything, a little bit more than I did in previous years. Obviously, the schedule is a factor, because you can't have the nights off every night and come in and play someone who's really good,” Broome said. “We know that, and we're ready for it.”
But how can the big man who had one of Auburn’s all-time best single seasons; only player to rank in the Top 10 among SEC leaders in scoring and rebounding, ended the season on a 26-game double-digit scoring streak and was the fourth player in program history to be named the SEC Tournament MVP, improve ahead of his fifth and final season of college basketball?
“My three point shot, shooting a better percentage. My free throw percentage and just showing my athleticism a little bit more on the defensive side,” Broome said of points of emphasis this offseason.
As Broome has prepared not only for the upcoming season but his future professional career as well, an expanded shooting range and ability to play at multiple positions on the floor has been a theme ever since the Plant City, FL native made the move from Morehead State to Auburn.
“Me and Bruce talked about it the first day he recruited me,” Broome said. “By me starting to extend my range to shoot more threes and things like that it obviously opened up the offense a lot more, because I'm very good around the basket.”
After two seasons of not making a single three-point attempt at Morehead State, the Tigers saw a notable improvement from Broome last season from deep shooting 35.4%, 28-79, after a 29%, nine-for-31, performance as a junior.
In addition to the increase in long range shooting from Broome, Pearl and his staff have continued to find new ways of utilizing their best offensive weapon by practicing with the preseason all-American at the four position.
“I was more comfortable playing the five but I think playing the four this summer and this fall has kind of helped me not only on the offensive end but the defensive end,” Broome said. “It helped me at the five as well knowing what the four does at that position on the court. So I know offense and defense when I switch I can guard one through five offensively.”
As Pearl noted, the ‘who and what and when and how’ of Auburn’s lineup will be a work in progress for the whole team as the Tigers find the best possible positions and lineups to compete against the best in college basketball this season.
But one thing is for certain, regardless of where he is on the floor or what types of shots he is putting up, Broome will be the center of what Auburn is going to be capable of this season.
“We're definitely looking forward to going back-to-back. We know other people don't want that and they want to try to win themselves, but we're ready for what’s ahead of us,” Broome said.
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Patrick is a junior from Auburn, Alabama, double majoring in journalism and marketing. He started with The Plainsman in the fall of 2022.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @patrickabingham
