Johni Broome injury update: Auburn star's status for Final Four vs. Florida revealed

Auburn star Johni Broome said he participated in today’s practice and will be available for the Tigers’ showdown against Florida in the Final Four on Saturday, per Auburn Live‘s Justin Hokanson. Broome hyperextended his elbow in Auburn’s Elite Eight win over Michigan State on Sunday.

Broome’s participation on Thursday was his first in practice since the injury. Broome returned to the game against Michigan State on Sunday after giving fans a scare when cameras caught him seemingly mouthing, “I’m done.”

He finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds in the win over the Spartans. After practice on Thursday, Broome pulled back the curtain on his mindset while playing through the injury.

“It’s about being tough,” Broome said. “It’s kind of like if there’s nothing serious, if it ain’t broke, if you can play, you can play. If you can’t, you can’t. I’m gonna be 100% on Saturday, for sure… No limitations.”

This isn’t the first time this season Broome has played through an injury. In January, Broome missed two weeks due to an ankle injury. The All-American forward ultimately fought to return to the court and led the Tigers to their first regular-season conference title since 2022.

Broome is a frontrunner for the National Player of the Year Award this season. He is averaging 18.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 51.2% from the field.

He hasn’t slowed down during tournament play. Broome also had a standout performance in Auburn’s 78-65 win over Michigan in the Sweet 16. In the triumph, the 6-foot-10 senior notched 22 points and 16 rebounds.

Auburn will need Broome to be at his best on Saturday for its showdown against Florida. When the two teams met earlier this season on Feb. 8, Florida won 90-81. In the loss, Broome recorded 18 points, 11 rebounds and six assists on 8-19 shooting.

Despite their previous outcome against the Gators, the Tigers aren’t scared of the impending SEC showdown. In fact, during an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show, Pearl revealed his excitement to square off against Florida.

“I’ve been saying for the last two months that I’ve thought that Florida is the best team in the country,” Pearl said.’ “I thought they were playing better than anybody.

“They’ve got an incredibly deep front line. They’ve got the best point guard on the floor almost every single night in Walter Clayton. Their wings, Martin and Richard, can really score. They’re big. And Todd does a great job coaching. This is going to be a great, great challenge for us.”

Auburn and Florida will tip-off at 6:09 p.m. ET on Saturday with a ticket to the National Championship on the line. The game will air live on CBS.