Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl is making his case for one of his star players to take home college basketball’s highest individual honor. While he acknowledges some bias, Pearl firmly believes that senior forward Johni Broome has what it takes to be named National Player of the Year.
Auburn is currently sitting at No. 1 in both the AP Top 25 rankings and the highly competitive SEC, and Broome has been the Tigers’ standout player throughout the season. Pearl reinforced this point during his appearance on *The Gary Parrish Show*, where he argued that while there are plenty of great players across the country, Broome’s impact on Auburn sets him apart from the rest.
Pearl pointed to Broome’s overall contributions and Auburn’s impressive resume, stating:
> *“The difference in that race, I think right now, is simply the body of his work. If we have 14 Quad 1 wins? He’s a huge part of what that’s all about. He’s our leading rebounder, he’s our leading scorer, he’s our leader in blocked shots, and he leads us in assists as a power forward. That just tells you what an incredibly valuable player he is.”*
With Auburn on a dominant run—winning four consecutive games and 18 of their last 19—Pearl emphasized the importance of finishing strong. The Tigers still face a challenging end to the regular season, with road games at No. 17 Kentucky and No. 12 Texas A&M before wrapping up against No. 6 Alabama.
Pearl doubled down on his stance, saying that if Auburn continues its winning ways, there should be no doubt that Broome deserves the award:
In my mind, if we continue to win and close this thing out, he is the player of the year in college basketball.”*
The numbers certainly back up Broome’s case. He is currently averaging 18.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, playing a pivotal role in Auburn’s success this season. Now, it’s up to him and the Tigers to close out strong and prove that he’s the best player in the nation.
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