Auburn center Johni Broome declares for NBA Draft, maintains eligibility

Auburn center Johni Broome declared Tuesday for NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility.

The expectations, according to Auburn Live’s Justin Hokanson, is that Broome will return to Auburn.

“First off, I would like to thank God for putting me in this position, as I wouldn’t be where I am today without Him. I would also like to thank my family, friends, teammates, and coaches for all your support throughout my career so far. It’s been an honor to put on an Auburn uniform each and every game and wouldn’t trade it for anything, nor be in this position today without everyone’s love and belief in me as a player,” Broom said in a statement.

“After discussions with my family and staff at Auburn, and as I look toward the future and the next step in my career, I have made the decision to enter my name into the 2023 NBA draft, while retaining my eligibility. I look forward to obtaining valuable feedback that will assist me in my lifelong goal of playing in the NBA, and appreciate all your support along this journey!”

Auburn center Johni Broome will test the NBA waters as expected — the anticipation is that he returns to Auburnhttps://t.co/ntKznP6qna pic.twitter.com/U3IdOqpr0I

— Justin Hokanson (@_JHokanson) April 18, 2023

Broome played his first two seasons at Morehead State before transferring ahead of this past season to the Tigers. As a sophomore with the Eagles, Broome was named 2022 Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

Johni Broome declares, More on the 2023 NBA Draft

The 2023 NBA Draft is set to take place on Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Brooklyn at Barclays Center. Round 1 of the draft will be announced by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, while Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum is expected to handle the second round of picks.

To be eligible for the NBA Draft, players must be at least 19 years in age during the calendar year that the draft is held and at least one NBA season from their high school graduation date, or the date that would have been if they are not graduated. It is not required that player spend that one year playing college basketball, though. Players can play in either college, abroad, or the G League Ignite if they choose so.

While this is a significant change from what the rules once were, players are eligible to enter their names into the NBA Draft pool and explore their options by hiring an agent to go through the process, while still keeping their college eligibility. The deadline to make that move is on April 23 beginning at 11:59 p.m. ET. Players have until June 12 at 5 p.m. ET to withdraw their name from the pool and return to college.

The NBA Draft Lottery will be held on May 16, which is also the start of the NBA Conference Finals.