The status of Auburn star Johni Broome remains unknown for Saturday afternoon’s non-conference showdown between the No. 2 Tigers and No. 16 Purdue at Birmingham, Ala.
Broome injured his right shoulder during the opening minutes of Tuesday’s 100-59 victory over Georgia State, and an MRI exam one day later displayed no major damage.
Yet Auburn (10-1) hasn’t proclaimed a timetable for when Broome will be healthy. He missed practice Thursday, and coach Bruce Pearl didn’t offer much information.
“He will travel, obviously, up there,” Pearl said. “I couldn’t even tell you (his) status — whether it’s questionable (or) not likely. We just don’t know. But the good news — it’s not a long-term problem.”
Whether Broome practices Friday might be a barometer. Pearl typically doesn’t play someone who can’t practice the day before a game.
The Tigers certainly hope to see Broome on the floor, as he has team-best averages of 18.1 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.7 blocked shots in 11 games despite his abbreviated outing — two minutes — against Georgia State.
Boilermakers coach Matt Painter said he hopes Broome plays. Painter said he wants his players going up against the best Auburn has to offer.
“Obviously, if the season ended right now, it looks like he’d be the National Player of the Year,” Painter said of Broome, a 6-foot-10 senior. “You have to give him a lot of attention. What makes him great is his ability to pass.”
With Broome lost against Georgia State, reserve Chaney Johnson stepped up with a career-best 26 points on 12-of-14 shooting from the field. He is the third option in the post behind Broome and Dylan Cardwell, who battled first-half foul trouble.
“It’s a great feeling,” Johnson said. “I’m playing behind two of the best bigs in the country. It was a great feeling to get on the court a little more than usual and perform.”
Said Pearl: “Chaney Johnson was dominant. I’m really proud of him. Nobody works harder than Chaney.”
Johnson ranks fifth on the Tigers in scoring (10.6) and second in rebounding (6.0) despite his backup status.
Purdue (8-3), meanwhile, has dropped two of its last three games, including last Saturday’s 70-66 loss to then-No. 17 Texas A&M in the Indy Classic in Indianapolis. The other loss during the stretch was 81-70 at Penn State on Dec. 5.
Braden Smith had 15 points, six rebounds and six assists against the Aggies, who held a 34-23 rebounding advantage. Texas A&M also shot 24 free throws (making 17) while Purdue was 9 of 10.
“We’ve got to do a better job keeping the ball in front of us and containing the dribble,” Painter said.
Trey Kaufman-Renn leads Purdue in scoring (18.2) and rebounding (6.5) but had just 11 points and four boards in the loss to Texas A&M.
Fletcher Loyer averages 13.5 points and has made 50 percent (21 of 42) of his 3-point attempts.
Smith is averaging 13.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and leads the squad in assists per game (8.5), 3-pointers (26 total) and steals (22 total). Smith is shooting 42.6 percent from long range.
Purdue is 2-2 against ranked teams this season, including an impressive 87-78 win over then-No. 2 Alabama on Nov. 15. Auburn is 3-1, with the loss coming to then-No. 9 Duke 84-78 at Durham, N.C., on Dec. 4.
Purdue has won two of the three meetings against Auburn, with the most recent matchup being a 96-71 rout of the Tigers in the 2016 Cancun Challenge. The teams will meet again next season in the Indy Classic in Indianapolis.
–Field Level Media
