Auburn’s Star Forward Johni Broome Suffers Ankle Injury Against South Carolina in Saturday’s Win

COLUMBIA, S.C- Auburn senior forward and one of this year's National Player of the Year contenders, Johni Broome, exited Auburn's game over South Carolina early in the second half due to a significant ankle injury.

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Broome, a 6 foot 10 and 240-pound fifth-year senior, currently leads Auburn in points (18.7), rebounds (11.2), assists (3.4), and blocks (2.7), while the Tigers are ranked second in the AP poll with a 15-1 record overall and 3-0 in conference play.

Auburn's big man was assisted off the court by the Tigers' athletic training staff during Saturday's win, with 13 minutes left in the second half, due to a significant ankle injury. Broome was injured while contesting a layup, and at the time of his departure, Auburn was down 47-45 against South Carolina. Despite this setback, the Tigers managed to fend off the Gamecocks' upset efforts. Auburn's defense held South Carolina scoreless in the last five minutes of the game, leading to a 66-63 victory for the Tigers in Columbia on Saturday night.

Auburn Mens Basketball Head Coach Bruce Pearl indicated that Broome's injury will most likely cause the 5th year Senior to miss some time, telling the SEC Network Broadcast that "(Broome) He's got a significant sprain" Pearl went further: "When we get back to Auburn tonight, we'll get him an MRI and see if it's anything else going on there."

This is a challenging time for Bruce Pearl and the Tigers, as Auburn is about to enter a tough stretch in their conference schedule. Next Tuesday, on the 14th, they will face #14 Mississippi State. Additionally, they have two more difficult matchups this month: a Georgia team that recently defeated sixth-ranked Kentucky and 17th-ranked Oklahoma. Toward the end of the month, Auburn will also take on Tennessee, currently the number one team in the AP poll. Following Saturday's victory, Auburn is expected to rise in the rankings, potentially surpassing Tennessee.

More information about Johni Broome's injury and probable time off will be published once he returns to Auburn and receives an MRI on his ankle.