NCAA Basketball: Top 25 offseason winners entering 2024-25 season

No. 23 - Auburn Tigers: Johni Broome returns

Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers received wonderful offseason news in mid-April when one of the best frontcourt players in the SEC, Johni Broome, announced his return to the Plains.

Broome, who spent his first two seasons at Morehead State, has been the terrorizing anchor down low at Auburn over the past two seasons. Last year, Broome averaged 16.5 PPG, 8.5 RPG and 2.2 APG, earning SEC First-Team All-SEC and Third-Team All-America honors on a team that won 27 games, including the SEC Tournament championship.

Despite the bitter ending to its season, a humbling Round of 64 defeat to 13-seed Yale, Broome was by far the Tiger's most impactful player on the court. Leading the Tigers in both points and rebounds, Broome posted the second-most blocks (2.2) and the second-highest field-goal percentage (.548) in the SEC despite logging less than 25 minutes per contest.

When a team’s best player returns, it's already a stellar offseason. When a team’s best player is John Broome, that raises its ceiling instantly. As Boome looks to be the best frontcourt player in the SEC come November, the preseason buzz is certainly palpable for the Auburn Tigers, who look the part of a borderline top-ten team entering the 2024-25 season.