Johni Broome might be one of the most impactful transfer players in all of college basketball this season. After transferring from Morehead State to Auburn, the 6’10” center looks to dominate the SEC like he has the Ohio Valley Conference. After I wrote about Harrison Ingram earlier this week, Broome is the next college player I expect to have a significant impact this season.
Morehead State
At Morehead State, Broome crushed the competition. In his Freshman season, he averaged 13.8 points, 9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. Along with that statline came OVC Rookie of the year honors and an All-OVC 1st team selection. It wasn’t all individual accolades: Morehead State won the OVC and earned an NCAA tournament berth in the 2020-21 season. Although they lost to West Virginia in the round of 64, Johni Broome finished with 10 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks. While it was an impressive season, Broome improved upon that in his Sophomore year.
This past season, Broome statistically improved in nearly every major category. He averaged 16.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, and a staggering 3.9 blocks per game. It was a dramatic improvement on an already elite season, and it led to another All-OVC 1st team selection and a defensive player of the year award. Both Broome’s blocks and rebounds per game ranked top ten in the entire nation. After a year like that, Johni Broome became a hot commodity on the transfer market, eventually landing at Auburn.
Auburn
The SEC is going to pose plenty of competition for Broome, but there should be no shortage of minutes for him with the Tigers. Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler both departed for the NBA, raising questions about who would fill the gap left in the frontcourt. Overall, the step up in competition will give Broome a chance to prove himself to NBA scouts. Right now, it’s looking like he has the talent to be the next Rudy Gobert.
Skillset
First and foremost, Johni Broome is an elite rim protector. In only two seasons, he’s accumulated 187 total blocks, an insane tally. Around the rim, he doesn’t let much get by him, and he vacuums up plenty of rebounds too. One thing is for sure, Broome has no lack of physicality. On plenty of occasions, he’s come flying in for a block or muscled his way into the paint to score. For his size, Broome has plenty of speed and quickness– a trait that certainly helps on offense.
Offensively, Broome can score with ease in the paint. He’s shown the ability to make powerful post-ups, loft some floaters, or even hit a few jumpers. With his size and strength, the 20-year-old can go from the perimeter to the rim with shocking authority. Additionally, he plays really well out of the pick-and-roll, making it nearly impossible to defend him. With some shifty guards at Auburn, I can imagine Broome’s scoring numbers continuing to increase as he gets more accurate passers surrounding him.
All in all, Johni Broome could easily have the largest impact of any transfer this year. If Auburn sees success this season, expect Broome to be at the center of it.
Quad Sports 