Johni Broome spent his entire senior season at Auburn embroiled in a two-man race for the National Player of the Year with Duke freshman Cooper Flagg. With Flagg set to play the second game of the Final Four in San Antonio on Saturday night, the early slate was Broome’s chance to prove voters wrong for delivering Flagg the Wooden Award. Instead, fellow First-Team All-American Walter Clayton Jr. stole the spotlight and a spot in the National Championship Game with his performance in Florida’s 79-73 win.
In a head-to-head showdown, as is often the case in March, guard-play prevailed. Clayton led the way for the Gators with 34 points on 11-18 shooting and 5-8 from three, thoroughly outplaying Broome. Auburn’s senior forward cooled off after a 12-point first half, needing 14 shots to finish with 15 points.
Florida outlasts Auburn for spot in National Championship Game
Like Broome, who landed at Auburn after two seasons at Morehead State, Clayton transferred up from Iona to his SEC home in Gainesville, and like Broome, he blossomed into a star. Saturday night was Clayton’s second consecutive 30-point performance, this coming a week after the senior point guard bailed out his team with a flurry of three-point baskets in the final minutes against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight.
As a team, Auburn managed just eight field goals in the second half while turning the ball over 12 times. Clayton meanwhile, was unstoppable, knocking down an array of stepback jumpers from beyond the three-point line and proved impossible to keep out of the paint. Clayton routinely got Auburn on its heels defensively with his change of pace and quickness, attacking the rim.
As Broome, who entered the Final Four with injury concerns, wore down in the second half, Clayton and Florida’s remarkable depth prevailed. Florida turned the tide with an early 11-0 second-half run, and Clayton added to his reputation as a legendary closer. Broome, a 59% free throw shooter, missed two late free throws and failed to box out Florida’s Rueben Chinyelu as he hauled in an offensive rebound that sealed the game off a Thomas Haugh missed free throw.
The regular season was defined by Broome’s battle with Flagg, but on Saturday night, Clayton emerged as the top contender to Duke’s freshman phenom, setting up a legendary matchup in the National Championship Game (unless of course, Houston spoils the party).