Bruce Pearl explains where he stands on Auburn NBA draft hopeful
Auburn basketball head coach Bruce Pearl wants what’s best for Johni Broome — whether that be via being drafted in the first round of the 2023 NBA draft or returning to the Tigers for the 2023-24 season. As Pearl explained at the Children Golf Classic at the Willow Point Golf & Country Club in Alexander City on May 15, potentially ending up in the second round would be a good reason to return to AU in order to boost his draft stock and help the Tigers build on consecutive March Madness Round of 32 appearances.
“Our feelings have always sort of been, ‘Can you get yourself into that first round?’ If you can get yourself into that first round, you need to go,” Pearl said (h/t Montgomery Advertiser). “It’s hard to climb out of the second round. Guys that go second round, they’re not the general manager’s first pick, they do the two-way contract, they spend most of their time in the G League. We’re rooting for Johni on one hand. On the other hand, we’d obviously love to have him back because he could be one of the best players, preseason, in college basketball next season.”
Broome averaged over 14 points and eight rebounds during his first season on the Plains and third collegiate season overall after starring for Morehead State during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. Should his draft stock improve, Broome will need to show an improved 3-point shot after having shot under 30% in 2022-23.
Bruce Pearl expects Jaylin Williams and Dylan Cardwell to return to Auburn basketball
As the Montgomery Advertiser’s Richard Silva relayed, Pearl fully expects Jaylin Williams and Dylan Cardwell to return to Auburn basketball during the 2023-24 season — potentially mitigating the loss of Broome to the NBA should the lefty center catch the eyes of an NBA front office.
With losses of Wendell Green Jr., Zep Jasper, and Chance Westry in the backcourt and Allen Flanigan on the wing, it’d make things a lot easier on Pearl in the transfer portal if Williams and Cardwell come back to the Plains for a fifth and fourth season, respectively.
Losing Broome hurts, but their returns and the right transfer portal moves could go a long way toward Pearl’s Tigers making a triumphant return to the later rounds of the Big Dance in 2024.