One of the most prolific players in Auburn basketball history is officially getting his shot at the NBA, as the Philadelphia 76ers selected Johni Broome with the 35th overall pick in the second round of this year’s draft on Thursday.
Now the 41st Tiger selected in program history, Broome is the seventh NBA draft selection of the Bruce Pearl era, joining the likes of Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler.
While Broome’s Auburn career concluded with the program’s second-ever Final Four appearance, he transferred to the Plains in 2022 after two seasons at Morehead State. In his time at Morehead, he averaged 15.4 points and 9.8 rebounds, though his three seasons at Auburn saw exponential growth.
As a Tiger, Broome averaged 16.5 points and 9.3 rebounds to go with 2.2 assists and blocks and each. It culminated with a National Player of the Year campaign in his final season, averaging 18.6 points and 10.8 rebounds en route to SEC Player of the Year and consensus All-American honors.
Here’s a look at what the 76ers are getting in the former Auburn standout.
Johni Broome’s strengths, weaknesses with Auburn basketball
- Strengths: Broome’s final season at Auburn showed a rare capability, as the Tigers ran their offense through the big man. While he finished 31 contests with double-digit points and 22 with double-digit rebounds, he also logged eight performances with at least five assists.
- Weaknesses: The NBA Draft combine left little to interpretation in terms of Broome’s athletic abilities, as he was one of the event’s worst performers in most categories. His final season at Auburn also saw his 3-point and free throw percentages take a dip, which will need to change at the next level. While there’s room for improvement defensively, those are abilities Broome should be able to hone professionally.
Johni Broome’s stats with Auburn basketball
- Career (2022-25): 16.5 PPG; 9.3 RPG; 2.2 APG; 2.2 BPG; 52.7% FG/31% 3/59.1% FT; 27.2 MPG (104 contests)
- 2024-25 (36 games): 18.6 PPG; 10.8 RPG; 2.9 APG; 2.1 BPG; 51% FG/27.8% 3/58.7% FT; 30.2 MPG (35 starts)
- 2023-24 (35 games): 16.5 PPG; 8.5 RPG; 2.2 APG; 2.2 BPG; 54.8% FG/35.4% 3/61.5% FT; 24.8 MPG (34 starts)
- 2022-23 (33 games): 14.2 PPG; 8.4 RPG; 2.4 BPG; 1.3 APG; 52.7% FG/29% 3/56% FT; 26.5 MPG (33 starts)
Adam Cole is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at acole@gannett.com or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @colereporter.To support Adam’s work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Philadelphia 76ers pick Auburn basketball’s Johni Broome in 2025 NBA Draft