Auburn Photo Courtesy Zach Bland/Auburn Athletics
Morehead State Photo Courtesy Morehead State University
Tampa Catholic Photos Courtesy Julie Broome
Johni Broome is a 22-year-old Power Forward who just wrapped up his collegiate career. He led the Auburn Tigers to the NCAA Final Four before losing to the 2025 NCAA Champion Florida Gators in the semifinals 79-73.
Broome attended Plant City High School as a freshman and sophomore. After his freshman year, Broome hit a massive growth spurt, growing nearly 6 inches in 2 years. As a sophomore, Broome made the Plant City High School Varsity basketball team. It was a veteran-filled team of juniors and seniors, meaning Broome’s play time was limited.
After his sophomore year, Broome and his family decided it was in his best interest to transfer to Tampa Catholic High School to better his opportunities in basketball. It was a big adjustment for the family, especially the longer drive but Johni and his family believed it was the best move for him.
Their instincts proved to be the right call as Broome averaged 15.5 points per game and 10.5 rebounds as a junior. He improved even more as a senior, averaging 19.6 points per game, 10.9 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game. He was named the Hillsborough County player of the year for such an incredible season.
Morehead State University, a college in Eastern Kentucky, evaluated Broome at an Adidas-sponsored grassroots tournament in April of his junior year at Tampa Catholic. Broome ended up committing to the MSU Eagles in December of his senior year after getting offers from Bryant, Jacksonville, and Florida Atlantic.
Broome saw immediate playing time as a freshman as his Eagles teammate Tyzhaun Claude tore his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament). Broome was named Ohio Valley Conference Player Of The Year and helped get the Eagles into the NCAA tournament for the first time in a decade. After putting up 13.8 points, nine rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game as a freshman, Broome took his game to the next level in 2021 with the Eagles as he improved his interior scoring, rebounding, and rim protection, averaging 16.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.9 blocks per game as a sophomore.
In the Spring of 2022, Broome entered the NCAA transfer portal, allowing him the opportunity to go to a new team. After showing out at Morehead State, Broome had interest from a plethora of big-name schools, including Kentucky, Duke, Louisville, Gonzaga, Florida, Houston, and Auburn.
In April of 2022, Auburn’s coach Bruce Pearl and his son met with Broome at a Cracker Barrel in Morehead to attempt to recruit him to join the Tigers team. They offered him a lot of playing time with two of Auburn’s big men, Jabari Smith Jr and Walker Kessler, set to enter the 2022 NBA draft. Smith ended up going third overall, while Kessler went 22nd overall. After the meeting, Broome didn’t instantly commit as he had plenty of options to consider. The following weekend, coach Pearl and his son were at a wedding when Broome called to let them know he chose to commit to Auburn.
In his first year at Auburn, Broome averaged 14.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game. He helped get the Tigers back into the NCAA tournament, continuing the competitive Auburn legacy. Broome and the Tigers defeated Iowa 83-75 to advance to the second round of the tournament, with Broome putting up 19 points, 12 rebounds, and five blocks. The Tigers lost round two to the Houston Cougars 81-64.
In his second year at Auburn, Broome averaged 16.5 points per game, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game. Broome once again led the Tigers to the NCAA tournament, but the Tigers were knocked out in round 1 by the underdog Yale Bulldogs, 78-76. Despite this result, Broome had a dominant game for the Tigers, scoring 24 points, 13 rebounds, and one block.
In his final year playing college basketball, Broome and the Auburn Tigers had an incredible season. Broome averaged 18.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game and led Auburn to be the number-one team in the AP Top 25. Broome was unanimously named consensus first team All American, as well as the sporting news Player of the Year and the Pete Newell Big Man award, which has been awarded to some big names over the years like Anthony Davis, Blake Griffin, and David West. In round one of the NCAA tournament, Auburn defeated Alabama State 83-63, and Broome scored 14 points and had 11 rebounds. In round two, Auburn defeated Creighton 82-60, and Broome scored 8 points and had 12 rebounds and 2 blocks. In round three, Broome had a huge game, scoring 22 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in a nice win over Michigan with the final score of 78-65. In the Elite Eight, Broome continued his domination by scoring 25 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, and leading Auburn to defeat Michigan State 70-64. Although Broome and the Tigers were eliminated in the Final Four by the Florida Gators, Broome has much to be proud of.
Broome is expected to enter the 2025 NBA draft, which will take place on Wednesday, June 25, at 8:00 p.m. Not only is Broome expected to be the first player drafted from Auburn since Jabari Smith Jr. and Walker Kessler back in 2022, but Broome is also expected to be the first Plant City local to be drafted to the NBA.
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Johni’s parents, John and Julie, to learn more about their son’s journey – both on the court and growing up in Plant City.
Julie recalled Johni’s athleticism from an early age. Even at 9 years old, Johni was a dual-sport athlete, playing basketball at the YMCA while also being a member of the football team. Naturally, Johni’s love of basketball flourished in high school and ultimately became his sole focus, allowing him to develop his natural gift for the sport. After his freshman year at Plant City High School, Johni dedicated all his time and energy to the sport.
As his game began to evolve rapidly, the family made a pivotal decision: Johni would transfer to Tampa Catholic. It wasn’t an easy choice. This ultimately came with a significant amount of commitment from both Johni and his parents. The commute alone was demanding, having to drive an hour each way daily. Johni’s days began at 6:00 a.m., finishing a full day of school and returning home around 9:00 p.m. after basketball practice. These long days were filled with learning, training, and traveling. As a result, Johni had to sacrifice the social norms of being a high school teenager to achieve his dreams. Johni’s determination and resilience reflect the strong values instilled by his parents, who raised all three of their children with intention, love, and discipline.
As Johni’s high school and collegiate years come to a close, I wanted to learn more about who Johni was off the court. When I asked his parents what their favorite thing about Johni was, without hesitation, Julie instantly responded with “his humor. You can see his passion on the court where he’s very locked in, but off the court, he’s laid back, chill, funny, and loves cracking jokes.” John also chimed in by saying, “Johni is truly a kid at heart. He loves to play games and have fun at all times.”. John continued to express his admiration for Johni’s humility. He proudly described how truly humble his son is. Despite always being on a dominant or winning team, Johni continues to demonstrate kindness and sportsmanship and always strives to be the best, not taking anything for granted. It is a true testament to the unwavering guidance from his parents, who remain both supportive and proud while keeping Johni grounded.
Throughout Johni’s collegiate and high school career, he’s often flown under the radar. Not the typical highly recruited player, Johni steadily continued to improve his skills and techniques – and to this day, continues to work hard not only for himself but to prove everyone wrong who may have doubted him. This resilience ultimately speaks to the never-ending support Johni receives from his parents, siblings, and community. When asked about the decision to begin his collegiate career at Morehead, Julie warmly stated that it was nothing more than a feeling of comfort and familiarity. “Morehead felt like Plant City. Everyone knew everyone. For us, this was the most important thing.” When discussing the decision to transfer to Auburn, his parents described it as the necessary next step to elevate Johni’s game in the hopes of taking his career to the next level.
This deep-rooted sense of community and family has always been a pivotal part of Johni’s story. Both of his parents are Plant City natives, and no matter where he goes, Johni carries home with him. Literally – the Strawberry Water Tower is even tattooed on his arm. And every time he visits, Julie lists a few favorite hometown spots that are a must-go-to: Maryland Fried Chicken, Smokin Aces for some BBQ, and Parksdale Farm, where Johni typically returns with two trays of strawberry milkshakes (one for each member of the family, and two for himself).
It was an absolute pleasure working with Johni, his parents, John and Julie, as well as Johni’s representative Elzy. I just wanted to say congratulations to Johni on a successful college career. You definitely left an impact and made a name for yourself. On behalf of myself and Plant City, we’re all rooting for you!
