The college basketball season has come to an end, with the Final Four recently featuring Houston, Florida, Auburn, and Duke. As fans eagerly awaited the national championship clash between Houston and Florida, and Florida emerging National champions, the final round of annual player awards was unveiled. Duke’s Cooper Flagg took home the Naismith National Player of the Year honor, awarded to the top player in college basketball—a tough blow for Auburn’s Johni Broome, who had an incredible season. Not only did Flagg edge out Broome for the Naismith Award, but he also claimed the NABC National Player of the Year, AP Player of the Year, and the Wooden Award, sweeping the sport’s most coveted individual accolades.
Although Broome’s season didn’t end with a national title or a major individual award, he solidified his legacy as an SEC great. In his third season with Auburn and fifth in college basketball, Broome posted impressive averages of 18.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game—leading the Tigers in all three categories and ranking eighth nationally in rebounding. Now officially wrapping up his college career, which began at Morehead State before transferring to Auburn, Broome’s rise from an unranked recruit to an Auburn icon is a story of perseverance and impact.