Why the transfer portal was 'not an option' for Auburn basketball star Johni Broome
AUBURN — Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl has a process at the end of every season.
Pearl likes to sit down with his players, talk to them about their options and outline the best paths for them to take, both for their personal careers and for the team's future.
With someone such as senior guard KD Johnson, Pearl admitted his role wasn't going to be a big one if he stayed at Auburn for his fifth and final year of eligibility next season. As a result, Johnson elected to hop in the transfer portal and eventually commit to George Mason.
When talking to All-American center Johni Broome, Pearl laid out three paths: A return to the Plains, an entrance into the portal or a declaration for the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft.
Broome assured Pearl one of those choices wasn't under consideration.
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"He said, ‘Coach, the transfer portal is not an option for me. So, really there are only two options.’ (And) the NBA option was not an option that he wanted to explore right now," Pearl said of Broome on Monday. "... As far as being in the transfer portal, that just wasn’t an option for him or his family. They just wanted to be able to be treated fairly, and I think that the (NIL) collective treated him fairly. We’re really glad to have him back.”
Broome's production didn't necessarily explode from Year 1 to Year 2 at Auburn — his points and rebounds per game rose by 2.3 and 0.1, respectively — but the manner in which he achieved that production was impressive. He was efficient, playing 24.8 minutes per game, and he expanded his game to become a real threat from beyond the 3-point arc.
Originally arriving to Auburn in April 2022 as a back-to-basket big man who played with some finesse in the post, Broome shot 35.4% on 2.3 attempted triples per game last season. Against SEC competition, Broome made 39.2% of his shots from long range.
But, according to Pearl, that improved play didn't move the needle much on his draft stock. Even in what many have called a weak draft class, Broome's stature and the old-school manner in which he plays makes the path to the modern NBA difficult.
That doesn't mean it's impossible, though. Broome declared for the draft last offseason, and he parlayed a standout performance at the G League Elite Camp into an invite to the 2023 NBA Combine. In two scrimmages at the combine last year, Broome dropped 26 points, 16 rebounds and two blocks before he withdrew from the process and returned to college.
"He probably knew what that was going to look like, even in not a strong draft," Pearl said of Broome potentially trying to turn professional this time around. "He probably was looking at a second-round situation, a two-way contract. Whatever that would be. ... The NBA option was not an option that he wanted to explore right now. ... Players like Johni are going to have to get on a team and play their way onto a roster, as opposed to being drafted high and thinking about what that potential is all about. I think Johni and his agent and his team really realized it."
With standouts such as Purdue's Zach Edey and UConn's Donovan Clingan off to the NBA, the Tigers have arguably the best big man in the country with Broome, who is one of two consensus All-Americans in Auburn men's basketball history, along with Jabari Smith in 2022.
“Johni Broome wanted to be back," Pearl said. "His family wanted him to be back."
Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rich_silva18.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Johni Broome: Why transfer portal wasn't option for Auburn star big
