Naismith Award finalists include Auburn's Johni Broome, Bruce Pearl
Auburn basketball has played at a high level this season thanks to the talents and skills of head coach Bruce Pearl and forward Johni Broome.
It is no wonder the key parts of Auburn's SEC regular season championship and potential No. 1 NCAA Tournament team are gaining national attention ahead of awards season. Friday, it was announced that Pearl and Broome are finalists for Coach of the Year and National Player of the Year respectively.
Pearl is in contention to win the Werner Ladder Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year Award alongside Missouri's Dennis Gates, Florida's Todd Golden, Michigan State's Tom Izzo, Louisville's Pat Casey, Texas Tech's Grant McCasland, Drake's Ben McCollum, St. John's Rick Pitino, Duke's Jon Cryer, and Houston's Kelvin Sampson. Pearl led Auburn to its third SEC regular season championship since 2014, and is on pace to take Auburn to its fourth-straight NCAA Tournament, a stretch that has not happened since the Tigers went to five-straight tournaments from 1984-88.
Broome's magical season saw him reach double-figures in points 26 times with 18 double-doubles. Entering the weekend, Broome averaged 18.7 points and 10.8 rebounds per game, with a 50.8% field goal percentage. He is up for the Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Men's College Player of the Year Award alongside several SEC players including Walter Clayton of Florida and Mark Sears of Alabama. Duke's Cooper Flagg is also in the mix to win the award. Broome and Flagg have been in a tight race for the award all season long, which will spark a heated debate among college basketball fans while the NCAA Tournament unfolds.
The winner of both Naismith Awards will be announced on April 6, one day before the NCAA Tournament final is played at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn's Johni Broome, Bruce Pearl named finalists for Naismith Awards
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