How Johni Broome returned from injury to lead Auburn basketball over Tennessee

Johni Broome couldn’t even walk.

After landing awkwardly on Chaney Johnson’s left foot, Auburn’s All-American center had to be helped off the court, unable to return to Auburn’s Jan. 11 game against South Carolina.

News broke the following day that Broome’s sprained left ankle would not require surgery, but there was no timetable for his return. It forced him to miss Auburn’s next two games, leading into a full week to prepare for a marquee game against Tennessee.

Throughout the week leading up to Auburn’s clash against the sixth-ranked Vols, the biggest storyline to watch was whether or not Broome would return for Saturday’s game.

He didn’t practice at the beginning of the week, but his status was later upgraded to questionable. Then a game-time decision. Eventually, three minutes and forty seconds into Saturday night’s game, Broome made his return to the court, drawing an ovation from the Neville Arena crowd and giving the Tigers their leader back.

Thirty-three minutes, 16 points, 13 rebounds and a thrilling 53-51 win later, Broome’s presence was felt arguably more than it has been all season.

“Ultimately, I just wanted to get out there and help them win,” Broome told reporters after the game. “It was a rough one, but we got it done.”

Despite not starting, Broome’s 33 minutes finished the game tied for the second-most on the team. It was a pleasant surprise for head coach Bruce Pearl, who revealed after the game that he only expected Broome to play 20 minutes.

Pearl said that didn’t have to do with potential re-injury, but he was unsure of Broome’s conditioning after missing close to two weeks of practice.

“I think what Johni did with his rehab all week and living with the trainers and the doctors and being able to come out and just affect winning so much. He just affects winning,” Pearl said. “All he cared about was winning. So, I think as a leader, it’s another statement.”

Not only did Broome want to be on the floor for the sake of winning a big game, he also admitted postgame that there was some extra personal motivation.

Broome posted a video to his Instagram story Saturday morning, showing two Tennessee logos placed on his car’s windshield and a Tennessee logo made out of plastic forks in his front yard.

“At that moment, I knew I was playing no matter what,” Broome said.

On the court, Broome looked motivated and did not seem hampered by injury or any lack of conditioning. Seven of his 13 rebounds came on the offensive glass, keeping Auburn’s offense afloat on a night the Tigers shot 31% from the field.

“He’s a very big part of this team, and we know that with him, we’re a dangerous team,” said Auburn guard Miles Kelly. “We all believe in our players and we believe in him. It gives us the utmost confidence to come out here and perform every night.”

His 16 points led the team in scoring, and despite not being as efficient as usual (7-for-19 from the field) Broome was without a doubt Auburn’s most reliable source of offense.

That’s what everyone who watches Auburn on a consistent basis expects, though. As the fifth-year senior from Plant City, Florida continues to make his case for National Player of the Year, Saturday night might have been his biggest statement yet.

It’s now the second time this season Broome has returned from injury to record a double-double -- he scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds versus Purdue after recovering from a shoulder injury -- and both came against top teams.

Was Broome truly at 100% against Tennessee? Only he will truly know. But when asked how he felt after the win, Broome gave the only response that mattered.

“Good enough to play,” he said.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at prauterkus@al.com