Auburn's Johni Broome says he has no elbow pain, is 'ready to go' for Final Four
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
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily !
recommended
Get more from College Basketball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Southeast Spotlight: Five committed prospects on flip watch
Rivals national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman takes a look at five Southeast commitments that could be at risk to flip their pledges before the end of the year. MORE: Three new FutureCasts in for Billy Napier and the Florida Gators CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy | Rivals Five-Star roster | Schedule/info Carter has logged official visits to Georgia and Florida State to open the summer. The touted Rivals250 receiver from the Peach State is a Seminoles legacy and has been back to Tallahassee on a few instances since giving Auburn his commitment. Advertisement North Carolina and Auburn are on deck for Carter. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH AUBURN FANS AT Gibson was one of the first commitments for Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide – committing on Christmas Eve after his junior season and returning to Tuscaloosa on several visits since his declaration. The speedy blue-chip corner is an Ole Miss legacy and returned to Oxford over the weekend for an official. Auburn and Tennessee both are swinging away at Gibson in this one, too. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH ALABAMA FANS AT Harris gave Auburn a commitment last summer during a colossal Big Cat Weekend. Nearly a year later, the Tigers are working to hold onto the in-state Rivals250 edge defender, who has made a string of visits to Tennessee and more recently Florida. Advertisement Alabama is also working hard to keep Harris inside the Yellowhammer State. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH AUBURN FANS AT Keys has logged official visits to Miami and Texas A&M over the past two weekends – with trips back to Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss and LSU all on the horizon. The No. 1 WR in the Rivals250 out of Hattiesburg (Miss.) High gave Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers an early commitment this spring. He will make his final official visit to Baton Rouge on June 20 before finalizing his college plans. Miami remains in pursuit of Keys, along with Alabama, Auburn and Ole Miss. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH LSU FANS AT Tennessee landed a commitment from Sneed nearly a year ago, and the Vols have been working to hold onto the Rivals250 pass-catcher since. Sneed has made visits around the country this offseason with Ole Miss and Florida making it a tight race with Tennessee at the top of this recruitment. Advertisement Ole Miss made a big move during its official visit on May 30 weekend and Florida gets Sneed back to The Swamp on June 13. The Vols have the last crack at Sneed before he finalizes his plans. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TENNESSEE FANS AT
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
One year from World Cup opener, FIFA leaves questions unanswered on tickets and security
NEW YORK (AP) — A year from the largest World Cup ever, there has been no announcement on general ticket sales, prices for most seats, location of a draw or security arrangements as FIFA has mostly avoided disclosing details of an event set for 16 stadiums across the United States, Mexico and Canada. There is uncertainty about whether fans from some nations will be welcome — 11 of the venues are located in the U.S., where all matches will be played from the quarterfinals on. Security is a concern, too. At the last major soccer tournament in the U.S., the 2024 Copa America final at Miami Gardens, Florida, started 82 minutes late after spectators breached security gates. 'That was certainly a reminder and a wake-up call if anybody needed it that those types of things are going to be used in terms of the ultimate assessment of whether this World Cup is successful,' said former U.S. defender Alexi Lalas, now Fox's lead soccer analyst. U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban on citizens from 12 nations exempted athletes, coaches, staff and relatives while not mentioning fans. Vice President JD Vance made what could be interpreted as a warning on May 6. 'Of course everybody is welcome to come and see this incredible event. I know we'll have visitors probably from close to 100 countries. We want them to come. We want them to celebrate. We want them to watch the game,' he said. 'But when the time is up they'll have to go home. Otherwise they'll have to talk to Secretary Noem,' he added, speaking alongside Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. Back in U.S. for first time in 32 years The 1994 World Cup sparked the launch of Major League Soccer with 12 teams in 1996, and $50 million in World Cup profits seeded the U.S. Soccer Foundation, tasked with developing the sport's growth. MLS now has 30 teams, plays in 22 soccer specific stadiums and has club academies to grow the sport and improve talent. Next year's tournament will include 104 games , up from 64 from 1998 through 2022, and the 11 U.S. stadiums are all NFL homes with lucrative luxury suites and club seating. It also will be the first World Cup run by FIFA without a local organizing committee. 'The legacy initiative of 2026 is around how we ensure that soccer is everywhere in this county,' U.S. Soccer Federation CEO JT Batson said. 'How do we ensure that every American can walk, ride their bike or take public transit to a safe place to play soccer? How do we make it to where every school in America has soccer accessible to their students? And how do we make it to wherever every American can truly see themselves in the game?' Interest in soccer has vastly increased in the U.S., with England's Premier League averaging 510,000 viewers per match window on NBC's networks last season and the European Champions League final drawing more than 2 million viewers in each of the past five years on CBS. However, CBS broadcast just 26 of 189 Champions League matches on TV in 2024-25 and streamed the rest. MLS drew about 12.2 million fans last year, second to 14.7 million in 2023-24 for the Premier League's 20 teams, but MLS has largely disappeared from broadcast TV since starting a 10-year contract with Apple TV+ in 2023 . Apple spokesman Sam Citron said the company does not release viewer figures. In a fractured television landscape, different deals were negotiated by FIFA, UEFA, MLS, the NWSL, the USSF and the five major European leagues. 'You basically have over 2,800 game windows per season aired in the United States and so that requires distribution largely on streaming platforms like Paramount+ or ESPN+, but it's difficult for new fan adoption and it makes reach kind of challenging,' said Gerry Cardinale, managing partner of RedBird Capital Partners, which holds controlling interests in AC Milan and Toulouse and owns a non-controlling stake of Fenway Sports Group, parent of Liverpool. 'Kids today are getting weaned on Premier League football and Serie A football, and when you watch that as a product, it's hard for MLS to compete.' 1994 World Cup set attendance record The 1994 World Cup, a 24-nation tournament, drew a record 3.58 million fans for 52 matches. Ticket prices ranged from $25-$75 for most first round games and $180-$475 for the final at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. FIFA, which has about 800 people working at an office in Coral Gables, Florida, says it will announce information on general tickets in the third quarter. It wouldn't say whether prices will be fixed or variable. Hospitality packages are available on FIFA's website through On Location. For the eight matches at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, including the final on July 19, prices range from $25,800 to $73,200 per person. Variable ticket pricing possible FIFA appears to be using variable pricing for this year's Club World Cup , played at 12 U.S. stadiums from June 14 to July 13, and some prices repeatedly have been slashed. Marriott Bonvoy, a U.S. Soccer Federation partner, has been offering free tickets to some of its elite members. Asked about Club World Cup ticket sales and team base camp arrangements, Manolo Zubiria, the World Cup's chief tournament officer, hung up four minutes and five questions into a telephone interview with The Associated Press. Brendan O'Connell, the publicist who arranged the interview, wrote in an email to the AP: 'The guest was not prepared for those questions.' FIFA's media relations staff would not make FIFA president Gianni Infantino available to discuss the tournament. Ahead of the 1994 World Cup, FIFA announced in May 1992 the draw would take place at Las Vegas on Dec. 18 or 19, 1993. FIFA has not revealed plans for this year's draw but appears to be planning for Las Vegas on Dec. 5. Regular ticket sales began in February 1993 for the U.S. soccer family and general first- and second-round sales started that June. Fans submitted lottery applications in October 1993 for games from the quarterfinals on. Teams could train away from World Cup cities While not detailing ticketing plans for next year's tournament, FIFA is spreading it beyond the host cites and lists about 60 possible base camps for teams to use, paired with hotels. Some are fancy — The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia — and some more Spartan — the Courtyard by Marriott Mesa at Wrigleyville West in Arizona. Thousands of arrangements must be coordinated. Major League Baseball is drawing up its schedule to ensure that the four teams whose ballparks share parking lots with World Cup stadiums — in Arlington, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri; Philadelphia; and Seattle — won't play home games on the dates of tournament matches. Boris Gartner, CEO of La Liga North America, a joint venture of the Spanish soccer league and Relevent Sports, said the 2026 World Cup should be viewed as just another step in the sport's long-term growth in the United States. 'If you have a clear understanding of the market and the audience, a clear understanding of the value that these properties bring to media companies, and you mix content with a commercial strategy, with the right media distribution strategy, this is something that will continue to grow over the next two decades,' he said. 'If more people are watching the NWSL, more people are going to be interested in soccer that could potentially end up watching a Bundesliga game or La Liga game.' ___ AP soccer:
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Japan and South Africa wrap up World Cup qualifying with big home wins
OSAKA, Japan (AP) — Japan and South Korea ended successful 2026 World Cup qualification campaigns on a high with emphatic home victories over Indonesia and Kuwait respectively on Tuesday. In Osaka, Daichi Kamada scored after 15 minutes to set Japan, preparing for an eighth consecutive World Cup, on its way to a 6-0 victory. Takefusa Kubo added a second five minutes later and Kamada extended the lead just before the break. Soon after the restart, Ryoya Morishita and Shuto Machino piled on and Mao Hosoya made it six. In Asia's third round of qualification, the top two from each of the three groups of six progress automatically to the World Cup. Jordan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Japan and South Korea have qualified for the expanded 48-team tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Only one spot is still available, in Group C. It will go to Australia later Tuesday if the Socceroos avoid defeat by five goals in Saudi Arabia. South Korea, which has qualified for an 11th straight World Cup, sealed top spot in Group B after beating Kuwait 4-0. Jeon Jin-woo scored after 33 minutes at Seoul World Cup Stadium and Lee Kang-in added a second soon after the restart. Oh Hyeon-gyu and Lee Jae-sung also got on the scoresheet. The six teams that finish third and fourth advance to another stage to play off for Asia's two remaining automatic places. Elsewhere, China defeated Bahrain 1-0 with both teams already eliminated from contention. ___ AP soccer:
