Morehead State transfer Johni Broome commits to Auburn

He won’t be a Wildcat, but Kentucky will be facing off against Morehead State star transfer Johni Broome in the SEC this season. After narrowing his options to just two schools, Auburn and Florida, the OVC Defensive Player of the Year has decided to play for Bruce Pearl and the Tigers.

Broome also received interest from Kentucky, Duke, Gonzaga, Louisville, Houston, and Memphis, among other programs. At the end of the day, though, Auburn felt like home.

“It felt like the right place for me to be and a place that I can call home,” Broome told On3. “Bruce Pearl and the coaching staff showed me how valuable I could be, how much they cared about me, and the work they are willing to put in to take me to the next level and expand my game as a whole. Auburn University is a wonderful place to be and I’m ready to get to work.”

At one point, Kentucky’s entire coaching staff reached out to Broome about making the move from Morehead to Lexington. That was, however, when Oscar Tshiebwe’s draft decision was up in the air and the Wildcats were looking at potential replacement options.

Instead, Tshiebwe decided to return to Kentucky for his senior year, pushing Broome to explore his other options as a starting-caliber center. Now, rather than replacing Tshiebwe, he’ll be facing off against him in the SEC against a conference rival.

Broome was named First-Team All-OVC after averaging 16.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 55.5 percent overall from the field. He later earned OVC All-Tournament Team honors.

A prolific shot-blocker, Broome broke MSU’s single-season block record and led the conference in rebounding. He played for the Eagles under head coach Preston Spradlin, who previously worked under John Calipari at Kentucky for five seasons.

The SEC just got a little tougher.