Johni Broome injury update: Auburn star's status revealed vs. Georgia

Auburn center Johni Broome will not play against Georgia on Saturday, according to the SEC injury report. Broome was also unavailable in Auburn’s 88-66 win over Mississippi State on Tuesday.

Broome suffered the injury in the second half of Auburn’s 66-63 win over South Carolina on Jan. 11. The talented big man went up for a rebound and landed on Chaney Johnson’s foot, rolling his ankle in the process.

He immediately yelled in pain and grabbed for his left leg. He needed help from the training staff to get to the locker room. Speaking on the SEC Now postgame show, Pearl said Johni Broome had a “significant sprain” of his left ankle.

While Broome’s injury isn’t believed to be season-ending, he is out indefinitely. It’s a significant blow to the Tigers, who are currently ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25.

Broome is leading Auburn in four of the five major categories this season, averaging 17.9 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.7 blocks per game. The ankle sprain is the second injury Broome has suffered this season. He also had a shoulder injury late in non-conference play.

Despite Broome’s absence on Tuesday, Auburn looked phenomenal in its 88-66 win over Mississippi State. In the victory, the Tigers shot 55% from the field and 41.7% from beyond the arc.

Auburn’s defense was suffocating, squeezing 16 turnovers out of the Bulldogs. Auburn capitalized on Mississippi State’s mistakes, recording over twice as many points off turnovers as the Bulldogs did.

Of course, just because the Tigers played well without Broome, doesn’t change the fact that they’ll welcome him back with open arms. After all, Broome is a first-round NBA prospect, according to The Athletic‘s Sam Vecenie.

“I have Johni Broome as a first-rounder,” Vecenie said. “I had Johni Broome, last year, in the Top 40, and he decided to return to school. I think I shared the draft guide profile that I had written last year on Broome. Like, I think Broome is a stud.

“Everywhere he’s gone, he’s kind of kicked ass,” Vecenie added. “He kicked ass at Morehead State, he’s kicked ass for two years now at Auburn. He kicked ass both at the G-Legue Combine and the NBA Combine when he went to those. I’m just a buyer in general. I have him in the 20 to 30 range right now.”

Without Broome leading the charge, Auburn will square off against No. 23 Georgia on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET. The game will air live on the SEC Network.