NCAA Basketball: Top mid-major players in 2022 offseason transfer portal
By Shea Irish
Johni Broome – Morehead State
6’10” Freshman Forward
2021-22 Season: 16.8 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 3.9 BPG, 55.5 FG%
Career Accolades: 2x 1st Team All-OVC, 2022 OVC Defensive Player of the Year, 2021 OVC Freshman of the Year, 2021 OVC Tournament MVP.
Johni Broome; a 6’10” star from the Ohio Valley Conference, should be near the top of every power conference school’s priority list. Broome was one of just 15 players across college basketball to average a double-double this past season, and ranked top ten in the entire country in rebounds and blocked shots per game.
If hearing about his school-record 12 blocks in a game against UT-Martin in February doesn’t do justice, Broome is one of the best rim protectors in all of college basketball. Using exceptional length paired with elite athleticism for a near 7-footer, Broome was able to block five or more shots in 15 different games.
Oftentimes, a player with elite defensive ability isn’t able to match that on the offensive end of the floor, but that’s not the case with the Morehead State star. He has incredible footwork and an array of post moves to finish at the hoop, and can even step out to knock down a mid-range consistently. He scored in double figures in 32 of Morehead State’s 34 games.
When the lights are brightest, Johni seems to escalate his level of play. In the two OVC championship games Morehead State has appeared in during the last two seasons; Broome finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds in a victory over Belmont to send them to the 2021 NCAA Tournament and then followed that up with a career-high 32 points in a narrow defeat to Murray State. The OVC star also had a 20 point, 12 rebound game on the road against a top 25 Xavier team.
According to a tweet by ESPN’s Jeff Borzello, Broome has already received interest from Kentucky, Ohio State, Auburn, Gonzaga, and Memphis among a list of many other schools. With Morehead State located just an hour away from Lexington, KY; look for the Kentucky Wildcats to be in strong pursuit of the star forward if Oscar Tshiebwe decides to head to the NBA.
Technically still a freshman due to the extra year of eligibility, Broome would be a monumental addition to any of these programs and will have three years of eligibility remaining.