Despite not meeting national championship expectations, Auburn HC Bruce Pearl claims "no one affected winning" more than Tigers' 6'10'' superstar

Auburn Tigers coach Bruce Pearl just wrapped up his 10th season with his program and has given his best support towards a graduating star. Fifth-year forward Johni Broome has exhausted his college basketball eligibility and has been busy this offseason with ramping up his NBA Draft stock.

On Saturday, June 14, in an interview with Daniel Hager of On3, Pearl gave his own thoughts on the 6'10'' stalwart as they spent the last three seasons together. He claimed that despite Auburn not winning the national championship during Broome's run, the Plant City, Florida native is still an impact player who secures wins.

"Johni Broome wasn’t the best player in college basketball last year and the draft will probably point that out in terms of being a pro prospect, but nobody had a year in college basketball like Johni Broome. Nobody affected winning more than Johni Broome," Pearl was quoted as saying.

"Every level, whether it be high school coming out of Tampa Catholic or being overlooked in AAU basketball or having to go to Morehead State first instead of the SEC or ACC first coming out of Florida," he continued.

Bruce Pearl and Johni Broome. - Source: Imagn

In his final year of college basketball, Broome averaged 18.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.1 blocks per contest. He and Pearl's Auburn squad finished the 2024-25 season with an overall record of 32-6 (15-3, SEC). They were defeated in the 2025 March Madness by the eventual champions, the Florida Gators, in the Final Four, 79-73.

Bruce Pearl says that Johni Broome can be great with the right NBA situation

Later on in the interview, Bruce Pearl shared his thoughts on how he thinks Johni Broome will fare in the upcoming NBA Draft. The 65-year-old then detailed that despite not being projected to be drafted as a high pick, Pearl believes that Broome can be a great player with the right fit and team.

"He’s not gonna get drafted high. He’s probably not gonna get drafted in the first round. He might maybe the right team. And so again he’s just gonna have to prove them wrong. He’s an elite passer, he’s an elite scorer, he’s an unbelievable kid and he’s a great teammate. He just knows he’s got it. He just knows how to play. Is he a freaky athlete? No," Pearl said.

"But he’s affective, and the right team that needs a piece and a guy that can play right away as a backup stretch-five man. If he goes to the right team, he’ll do good in the NBA," he explained.

Broome played his first two years of collegiate hoops with the Morehead State Eagles. He then spent his final three seasons under Coach Bruce Pearl at Auburn. According to On3, he is expected to be selected with the 20th pick in the second round, 50th overall, by the New York Knicks in the 2025 NBA Draft.