Paul Finebaum applauds Bruce Pearl for bench depth, recruitment of Johni Broome

Johni Broome will most likely be one of the finalists for the Wooden Award by the end of the season. His 18-point, 11-rebound average provides a game-changing presence in the paint and is a big reason why Auburn is having the success they are.

The No. 1 Tigers’ success goes a bit deeper than that, according to Paul Finebaum. In fact, it goes all the way through the lineup and into the Auburn bench as any player in Pearl’s regular rotation can turn into a game-changing threat.

“Ultimately, it starts at the bench where Bruce Pearl is one of the elite coaches in the country,” Finebaum said on Sunday morning during an appearance on SportsCenter. “He’s overcome so much. His coaching staff, including his son Steven, have identified talent. Let me go back to Broome for just a second. I spoke to him before the game, and he reminded me that in high school, he was the 471st-rated player in America. He matriculated through another college, Morehead [State], before he got to Auburn.

“He’s developed into either the best or the second-best player in the country, behind or in front of Cooper Flagg.”

Broome provided a key 19 points and 14 rebounds during the 94-85 win over No. 2 Alabama on the road on Saturday. While Broome provided the team-high scoring total, the Tigers were boosted from 42 points off the bench including three players scoring in double figures.

Chad Baker-Mazara, who has started 23 of Auburn’s 25 games this season, came off the bench after being labeled a game-time decision by the Tigers ahead of tip-off. Not at 100%, he still scored 15 points to go along with five rebounds and three assists before fouling out late in the second half. True freshman Tahaad Pettiford scored 13 points while Chaney Johnson contributed 14 to round out the bench effort.

In the starting lineup, Denver Jones and Miles Kelly combined for 31 points and five 3-pointers.

Six players average double-scoring figures for Pearl’s squad this season, and being able to turn to his bench no matter the situation is a luxury many programs can’t afford. This continues a trend for Auburn, which has quickly become a destination for top transfers and blue-chip recruits over the last several years.

Now poised for a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, Auburn has seven games left in its regular season before likely taking a bye into the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament as the conference’s 1-seed. After being slotted as the No. 1 overall seed in Saturday’s early top-16 reveal, the committee’s choice to slot the Tigers at the top has only solidified after the victory.