AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn received a positive report from Johni Broome’s shoulder injury he suffered Tuesday night against Georgia State. No structural damage and no surgery is required. He’s day-to-day moving forward.
What does that mean for Saturday’s matchup against No. 16 Purdue in Birmingham?
“We’ve got to game plan with him and without him,” head coach Bruce Pearl said. “Probably more without him, but we’ll game plan both.”
If Broome is unable to go, that means a bigger workload for senior forward Chaney Johnson who stepped up in Broome’s absence Tuesday night with 26 points, eight rebounds and four assists. It was the most points Johnson has scored in a game in his two seasons at Auburn.
Regardless of whether Broome plays or not, it hasn’t affected Johnson’s approach.
“I’m preparing the same way I’ve prepared the entire season,” Johnson said. “I stay in the gym. I love to work. And I’m just continuing to focus on what I need to focus on – my effort, my energy and my focus throughout the entire game.”
Johnson’s breakthrough performance in Tuesday’s win came as no surprise to his coaches and teammates. He’s always had the ability. He works as hard if not harder than anybody else on the team. It was just a matter of opportunity. He’s been playing behind arguably the best player in college basketball this season.
As Pearl told his team this week, it would have been easy for Johnson to complain or question why he wasn’t getting the ball more through the first 10 games. But he didn’t. Why?
“The answer is that’s what an Auburn man does,” Pearl said. “That’s what an Auburn basketball player does. That’s what Chaney Johnson does. Not one word about his play calls. Not complaining about ‘Hey, Johni is getting 15 really good touches, and I’m only getting six.’ Not a word. Just an unbelievable young man, unbelievable teammate.
“We always tell guys to stay right and stay ready. He’s a real example of that.”
Johnson and the rest of the Auburn front line will have their hands full Saturday with Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue’s big man who is averaging a team-high 18.2 points per game. He’s one of three starters returning from last year’s team that made the Final Four, a trio that also includes Braden Smith, the Big 10 Preseason Player of the Year.
“You know how they’re going to play,” Pearl said. “They’re not going to beat themselves. We won’t have as much depth obviously, so therefore foul trouble will be a factor. We’ve got to defend without fouling.”
In what will be a top-20 showdown, No. 2 Auburn (10-1) and No. 16 Purdue (8-3) will tip off at 3:30 p.m. CT from Legacy Arena in the Battle in Birmingham. The game will be televised on ESPN, and you can listen to Andy Burcham and Randall Dickey on the Auburn Sports Network.