ATLANTA – Auburn fans will be “in the navy” tonight when the top-seeded Tigers take the court against Michigan.
The Tiger faithful won’t be in the Armed Service but will be clad in the colors for the Sweet 16 matchup against the No. 5 Wolverines. Tipoff is 8:39 CT at State Farm Arena. The game is being televised by CBS.
And, leading the way is Johni Broome, a finalist for the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy, annually identifying the nation’s top player.
“You have to enjoy the moment,” Broome said. “This is the Sweet 16. It’s going to be fun.
“Everybody in that locker room is looking forward to the matchup.”
Broome along with finalists Walter Clayton, Jr. of Florida, Cooper Flagg of Duke and Braden Smith of Purdue have led their teams to be among the best in the country and into the NCAA Tournament.
“The brilliance of these athletes and their unrelenting passion for college basketball are evident in their outstanding accomplishments,” said Eric Oberman, president of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “Their efforts have been instrumental in their teams’ successes this season. Recognizing any of these extraordinary student-athletes with the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy would be a fitting tribute to their excellence.”
Broome, a two-time senior All-American from Plant City, Fla., was honored as the SEC Player of the Year, joining Charles Barkley (1984) and Chris Porter (1999) as the only Tigers to earn this award from The Associated Press. Broome is the only player in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history to record 2,500 points, 1,500 rebounds and 400 blocks in his career.
Averaging 18.7 points and 10.6 rebounds per game on the season, Broome has registered a school-record 19 double-doubles. He ranks first among active NCAA Division I players with 414 blocks and is among the Top 20 in the nation this season, averaging over two per game. Broome recently set the single-season rebounding record with 352 boards to date, breaking Korvotney Barber’s old mark of 347 rebounds in 2008-09.
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