Auburn’s Johni Broome and Bruce Pearl Earn Top SEC Honors
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) recognized Auburn’s dominance this season by naming Johni Broom the SEC Player of the Year and Bruce Pearl the SEC Coach of the Year, as voted on by league coaches.
With Broome leading on the court and Pearl orchestrating from the sidelines, the third-ranked Auburn Tigers finished the regular season with an impressive 27-4 overall record and a 15-3 mark in SEC play, securing the regular-season conference championship and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming SEC Tournament.
Broome Joins Auburn Legends with Player of the Year Honors
Broome became just the third Auburn player in history to be named SEC Player of the Year, joining Charles Barkley (1984) and Chris Porter (1999)* in the program’s exclusive club.
The 6-foot-10, 240-pound senior from Plant City, Florida, was a dominant force throughout the season. He averaged 18.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.8 blocks per game. His production remained steady in SEC play, where he posted averages of 18.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.3 blocks per contest.
Broome’s outstanding performances also earned him a spot on the All-SEC First Team for the second consecutive season. In fact, he has been named to an all-conference team every year of his college career, dating back to his time at Morehead State before transferring to Auburn.
Bruce Pearl Earns Fourth SEC Coach of the Year Award
In his 11th season at Auburn and 30th year as a collegiate head coach, Bruce Pearl was honored as the SEC Coach of the Year for the second time with Auburn (previously in 2022). This marks his fourth overall SEC Coach of the Year recognition, as he previously won the award in 2006 and 2008 while coaching at Tennessee.
Pearl’s leadership helped Auburn secure the SEC regular-season title and position itself as one of the top teams in the country heading into postseason play.
Additional SEC Honors for Auburn and Alabama Players
Several other Auburn and Alabama players received recognition for their performances this season:
– Alabama guard Mark Sears was named to the All-SEC First Team. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound senior from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, played a key role in the Crimson Tide’s 24-7 record and No. 3 seed in the SEC Tournament. He averaged 19.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game.
-Auburn’s Chad Baker-Mazara was selected to the All-SEC Third Team, while his teammate Denver Jones was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team
– Auburn’s freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford and Alabama’s freshman guard Labaron Philon were both honored on the **SEC All-Freshman Team
Other Major SEC Awards
In addition to Auburn and Alabama players receiving recognition, the SEC coaches selected standout players from across the league for individual awards:
– Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier was named SEC Newcomer of the Year.
– Texas guard Tre Johnson was awarded SEC Freshman of the Year
– Missouri guard Caleb Grill earned SEC Sixth Man of the Year** honors.
– Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler was recognized as SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
New All-SEC Team Format
This season, the SEC changed its traditional All-SEC team format, shifting from two eight-player teams to three five-player teams. The selections were as follows:
SEC All-First Team
– Johni Broome, F, Auburn
– Walter Clayton Jr., G, Florida
– Mark Sears, G, Alabama
– Wade Taylor IV, G, Texas A&M
– Zakai Zeigler, G, Tennessee
SEC All-Second Team
– Josh Hubbard, G, Mississippi State
– Tre Johnson, G, Texas
– Chaz Lanier, G, Tennessee
– Collin Murray-Boyles, F, South Carolina
– Otega Oweh, G, Kentucky
SEC All-Third Team
– Chad Baker-Mazara, G, Auburn
– Alex Condon, F, Florida
– Jason Edwards, G, Vanderbilt
– Mark Mitchell, G, Missouri
– Sean Pedulla, G, Ole Miss
SEC All-Defensive Team
– Denver Jones, G, Auburn
– Jahmai Mashack, G, Tennessee
– Cameron Matthews, F, Mississippi State
– Anthony Robinson II, G, Missouri
– Zakai Zeigler, G, Tennessee
SEC All-Freshman Team
– Jeremiah Fears, G, Oklahoma
– Tre Johnson, G, Texas
– Asa Newell, F, Georgia
-Tahaad Pettiford, G, Auburn
-Labaron Philon, G, Alabama
With Auburn claiming **both the Player of the Year and Coach of the Year honors, the Tigers have cemented themselves as a powerhouse heading into the SEC Tournament and beyond. As the No. 1 seeded, Auburn will look to continue its dominance and secure a deep postseason run.
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