Johni Broome injury update: Bruce Pearl offers latest on Auburn star after Georgia State game

As he went up for a rebound during Tuesday’s game against Georgia State, Auburn center Johni Broome grabbed for his shoulder. He didn’t return, and Bruce Pearl had the latest on his star center’s injury afterward.

Pearl said Broome’s shoulder popped out before going back in place. He came out of the locker room in a hoodie late in the first half and appeared to have ice underneath. After halftime, Broome was in street clothes with a sling on his arm as Auburn ruled him out.

As for a timeline, Pearl said the program would know more on Wednesday. However, it’s a similar issue to something he dealt with last season.

“We’ll just start with Johni. Obviously, his right shoulder kind of came out, came right back,” Pearl said. “He did it a year ago, so he’s had some experience with it. We’ll take a look at it tomorrow and tell you more. We hope he’s gonna be okay.”

At the time of his departure, Broome had two points in two minutes of action. Auburn remained in full control against Georgia State, though, as the Tigers cruised to a 100-59 victory. In Broome’s absence, Chaney Johnson stepped up, totaling 26 points and eight rebounds off the bench to help lead the charge.

Johni Broome is making a strong early case for National Player of the Year, helping fuel Auburn’s 9-1 start to the year. Entering Tuesday night, he averaged 19.7 points and 12.7 rebounds to lead the Tigers’ attack.

Broome is coming off one of his biggest games of the year last time out. He scored 21 points and pulled down 20 rebounds against Ohio State to lead Auburn to the resounding 91-53 victory. The Tigers’ only blemish came against Duke, which won an 84-78 thriller earlier this month.

Still, Broome is generating plenty of buzz around college basketball. In fact, ESPN’s Jay Williams declared him the early favorite to win National Player of the Year late last month.