Johni Broome injury update: Bruce Pearl confirms timeline for return of Auburn star

After a shoulder injury earlier this week, Bruce Pearl had a positive update on Johni Broome.

While speaking to the media on Thursday, Pearl said Auburn got a positive diagnosis from the testing on Broome as he won’t miss an extent of time. However, while he will travel with the team for their top 20 matchup against Purdue on Saturday, the Tigers are unsure if he’ll be able to play this weekend.

“We got a positive report from the standpoint of no surgery required and no damage,” Pearl said. “He won’t practice. He will travel obviously up there and I couldn’t tell you status whether it’s questionable, likely – we just don’t know. We don’t know. But the good news is it’s not a long-term problem.”

Broome exited after just moments into the 100-59 win for the Tigers over Georgia State on Tuesday after an injury to his shoulder. He played just two minutes, in which he recorded two points and a pair of blocks, before immediately going back to the locker room and returning to the bench later in a sling. As of Wednesday, though, reports had begun to suggest that he and the team had avoided anything serious.

Broome, a fifth-year senior, has not only been Auburn’s best player but been arguably the best player in college basketball so far this season. He’s having a career-best year at 18.1 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.7 blocks, each of which lead their team, on 55.3% shooting overall. As for nationally, Broome ties for third in double-doubles, is fourth in rebounds per game, is ninth in blocks a game, and has the highest assist average for a center in the country.

Auburn will want Broome back in the lineup in a top-ranked matchup between them and the Boilermakers in Birmingham. Even so, if he isn’t ready, the Tigers will need him to recover with only two non-conference games left over the next two weeks before the start of league play at the turn of the calendar.