Auburn forward Johni Broome returned to practice for the Tigers on Thursday and said he has no pain in his right elbow and “no limitations” ahead of the Tigers’ Final Four matchup with Florida.
Broome, a unanimous first-team AP All-American, is the Tigers’ leading scorer and emotional leader.
Auburn got a major scare when he fell and hurt the left side of his body, specifically injuring his elbow, in the Tigers’ win over Michigan State to get to the Final Four. Following the fall, Broome was seen mouthing, ‘I’m done’ to his teammates, but he was able to return to that game and help Auburn beat Michigan State.
He explained to FOX Sports’ John Fanta on Thursday how he was able to play through the pain:
Despite gutting it out, Broome was held out of practice until the team arrived in San Antonio.
“Ready to go. Taking it day by day, but set for Saturday,” Broome said. “No limitations.”
[Related: John Fanta on “The Johni Broome Game”]
Broome wore two layers of sleeves on his right arm and said he made sure to test the elbow by pushing and shoving with teammates in game situations. The idea was to “make it mad a little bit” to see how it would respond.
It went well. Broome said it is having no pain.
“Coach sat me out for precaution, but Saturday, I’ll be 100%, for sure,” when the Tigers (32-5) face the Gators (34-4).
“I’m glad he feels that way,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “Today was the first day he moved in practice.”
Broome’s status and pain tolerance for the elbow have been the biggest injury questions of the tournament so far.
He had 25 points and 14 rebounds against Michigan State but briefly left the game in the second after a hard fall as the elbow bent at an awkward angle.
Broome stayed down on the court, grimacing and holding his arm. He left the court for a medical check, but returned from the locker room five minutes later to cheers from the Auburn crowd.
He swished a 3-pointer after he returned but also looked uncomfortable as he grabbed several rebounds with one arm after the injury.
Broome has fought back from injury before. He missed two games earlier this season with an ankle injury. Auburn won both games against Mississippi State and Georgia.
Florida is also on pain watch.
Gators forward Alex Condon, who will likely match up with Broome, said his sore right ankle is “80 to 90% right now” and should be ready to play Saturday.
Condon rolled his right ankle in the Gators’ Sweet 16 win over Maryland and played just 13 minutes in that game. Two days later, he played 28 minutes and seven points and seven rebounds in Florida’s 84-79 win over Texas Tech to get to the Final Four.
“I’m just trying to get it right, and you know, not tweak it again,” Condon said.
At Duke, the Blue Devils (35-3) are hopeful that forward Maliq Brown is healthy enough to contribute when they meet Houston (34-4) in the other semifinal.
[MORE: 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament bracket here]
Brown was an important defender for the Blue Devils during much of the season but has been in and out of the lineup since mid-February after a dislocated left shoulder. He missed most of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament and the first two games of the NCAA Tournament before returning for just a few minutes in wins over Arizona and Alabama.
Reporting by The Associated Press
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