{"id":826279,"date":"2025-03-07T11:00:07","date_gmt":"2025-03-07T16:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/?p=826279"},"modified":"2025-03-07T11:34:56","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T16:34:56","slug":"slamu-auburn-digital-cover-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/slam-university\/digital-covers\/slamu-auburn-digital-cover-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Johni Broome and Tahaad Pettiford on Auburn’s Dominant Run, Taking Over the SEC and What It Takes to Win it All"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Like most hoopers during the holiday season, Johni Broome, Tahaad Pettiford and their Auburn teammates grew up watching college basketball\u2019s best at the annual Maui Invitational. Winning it all on national television inside the Lahaina Civic Center during Thanksgiving break was the dream. Last November, it became the Tigers\u2019 reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After an 18-point comeback win over No. 5 Iowa State and dropping both No. 12 UNC and Memphis by double digits, Auburn walked away trophy in hand and with a lei around head coach Bruce Pearl\u2019s neck. That\u2019s when National Player of the Year candidate Johni Broome said, \u201cEverybody was like, Yeah, we\u2019re legit.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SHOP THE AUBURN COLLECTION<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not just legit but purely dominant. So dominant that they\u2019ve been the No. 1 team in the country for over two months straight. They\u2019ve played the strongest strength of schedule in the country while serving up nonstop Ws in a conference that\u2019s projected to send 13 teams to the Big Dance. After amassing the nation\u2019s most Quad 1 wins (16), the Tigers sit at 27-3 with a season\u2019s worth of tests and challenges etched into their r\u00e9sum\u00e9. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019ve got students pitching tents outside of Neville Arena five minutes after an away game. And the night before the Auburn faithful are let in, you can catch the guys handing out pizzas and sandwiches to their fellow students while Johni and Miles Kelly sneak in a few games of poker. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bruce Pearl hasn\u2019t just returned Auburn to prominence, he\u2019s built a spectacle in the SEC. The sheer amount of toilet paper cast across Toomer\u2019s Square is more than enough evidence. And just moments after our early February shoot with the team\u2019s star forward and eccentric freshman point guard, Jay Bilas walks into the practice gym looking to film one of his iconic 94-foot-long interviews with Johni. Twenty minutes later, the two are walking through the sea of tents in Pearlville. All eyes are rightfully centered on The Plains this season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Broome falls into more Top 10 rankings than MF Doom\u2019s Madvillainy<\/em>. No. 4 presides over the SEC with an iron fist and has 17 double-doubles on the season. No one has found an answer for his 18.1 points, 10.7 boards and 2.4 blocks a night. The freshman phenom standing to his side is putting on for a long lineage of New Jersey-bred ballers, unafraid of the moment, the challenge and the deep ball on broken-down plays. Alongside the brilliance of Chad Baker-Mazara, Miles Kelly, Denver Jones, Chaney Johnson, Dylan Cardwell and a cast of other contributors, each night is a confirmation that we\u2019re looking at one of the best teams to ever step across campus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe know <\/em>the situation we\u2019re in. We just try not to dwell on it, focus on it. We just take it day by day,\u201d Tahaad says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the past two seasons, two-time All-SEC selection Johni Broome has been doing just that. After transferring from Morehead State for his sophomore season, the 6-10 Florida native has been steamrolling the limitations placed upon him ever since he was in high school, now ranking top 10 in the nation in blocks, rebounds and double-doubles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI always had that chip on my shoulder, that edge. Growing up, I just had the utmost confidence, because where I’m from you\u2019ve got to have confidence or you\u2019re gonna get eaten alive,\u201d Johni said. \u201cI just grew up and I took it wherever it went with me. I went to college, my mindset was to kill whatever was in front of me. And that just carries on today, because the person I\u2019m playing probably had more exposure, had more offers than me. So each and every night I go in looking to dominate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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He led the team in scoring in his first season. He became the program\u2019s 18th All-American in his second. The 2024 SEC Tournament MVP catapulted the last few years of momentum into one of the best individual campaigns this collegiate season. Twenty-six and 16 boards at LSU. Against Ohio State: 21 and 20. And twenty-three and 19 against North Carolina. On top of collecting double-doubles like vinyls, he\u2019s swatted away four or more shots in four games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With one of the best players in the nation back for his senior season, Coach Pearl says it was all about empowering his returning players with a \u201cless is more\u201d approach. Instead of going out and collecting as many five-star recruits and transfers as possible, Coach Pearl asked for more from his guys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Johni\u2019s managing more minutes (nearly 29 a night) and starting alongside Dylan for the first time in their careers. And freshman Tahaad Pettiford\u2019s dropping haymakers off the bench on a nightly basis. Instead of backfilling the departure of graduate senior Jaylin Williams, Chaney Johnson and Chad Baker-Mazara are finding\u2014and delivering\u2014even more opportunities to shine. The staff was selective when it came to the portal, too, offering the opportunity to win championships instead of promising playing time. SMU transfer Ja\u2019Heim \u201cTurtle\u201d Hudson was more than game. So was Georgia Tech transfer Miles Kelly. \u201cAnd the pieces fit really nicely together,\u201d Coach Pearl said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The No. 1 team in the country for eight weeks straight knows that everyone is gunning for them. They\u2019ll willingly walk into your trap and then take it over, shouts to the BankRoll Fresh song that\u2019s blasted after every dub on the road. All the while, the goals remain the same; SEC Championship followed by confetti in March. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t get complacent. You can\u2019t get comfortable because each and every night they\u2019re coming. We have a target on our backs,\u201d Johni said. \u201cObviously everybody wants to beat the best. We know that, we\u2019re aware of that, so we\u2019re going to bring it every night. So you better bring it, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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That sense of confidence stems from each player\u2019s belief in the guy next to them. As Johni and Tahaad acknowledge their ranking, they\u2019re adamant that the contributions from the entire team are the reason Auburn\u2019s enjoying the success they\u2019ve had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI just feel like we have players that don’t get enough recognition,\u201d Tahaad says. \u201cWe have players that without them, we wouldn’t be in the position that we are now. If they didn’t come here, we might not be No. 1 because of what they do for us. I just feel like their time is going to come, and when it comes, I feel like they’re going to be ready.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guys like Denver Jones, one of the best defenders in all of college basketball whose name is beyond deserving of being in the Naismith All-Defensive team convo for locking up the opposing team\u2019s best bucket-getter. Guys like Miles Kelly, the Tigers\u2019 go-to sharpshooter who will pull out the team-wide \u201cCall God\u201d celly after draining a step-back three. Guys like Chad Baker-Mazara, the Dominican Republic native who\u2019s posting 13.1 points and 1.2 steals a night and on the Julius Erving Mid-Season Award watch list. Guys like Chaney Johnson who\u2019s scored in double digits for five straight games for the first time in the Auburn blue and orange. Guys like Ja\u2019Heim Hudson, Chris Moore and true freshman Jahki Howard coming off the bench, injecting the right amount of energy whenever they check-in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The roster is loaded with experience between the portal and returning players who experienced last year\u2019s SEC Tournament Championship. But the squad isn\u2019t built solely off seniority. As one of two true freshmen on the roster getting tick, Pettiford has quickly become one of the most impactful point guards in the nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Jersey native torched Georgia in mid-January for his career-high, 24. He dropped a 21-piece in just his second game of the season, against No. 4 Houston no less. He\u2019s fearless in every regard. Pull up the clips from his 20-point performance at Duke if you\u2019re curious. Or his bombardment of last-second threes that routinely find the bottom of the net. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGrowing up, to be honest, I always played with older people. So coming in, I kind of expected it to be the same to how it\u2019s always been, just being around guys that are more experienced, played the game, played in the tough games. Just having their energy behind me, knowing they had my back in the low times, I feel like that just gives me confidence,\u201d Tahaad said. \u201cAnd without them, I feel like my season wouldn\u2019t be going the same as it is now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Windmills and no-look drop-offs to the post are complimented by 11.3 points, 2.9 assists and nearly a steal a night. He\u2019ll skip up court into a pull-up three during the biggest game in SEC history, silencing the crowd with a smile. The 6-1 freshman lives for the road. The entirety of the team does.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe care about being No. 1 in the nation, but, like, we don’t really feel like that,\u201d Johni said. \u201cWe’re normal. Every day we come in, having fun. We\u2019re just being us. Everybody else sees us as a fun team to be, but we\u2019re just acting how we normally act. I think we\u2019re just embracing the moment with each other, and instead of feeling pressure to be No. 1, I think we’re just embracing the journey of being No. 1.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If there\u2019s anything more certain than Auburn\u2019s locks on the No. 1 ranking, it\u2019s their commitment to joy while doing it. And they often find it on the road, sitting at 7-0 in SEC play after defeating No. 2 Alabama inside Coleman Coliseum on February 15. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surrounded by hostilities and the Crimson Tide faithful, the inner state rivalry was turned to a 10 as the first-ever No. 1 vs No. 2 matchup to take place in the SEC. Through the 40-minute battle, the thousands in attendance did everything they could to disrupt Auburn\u2019s chemistry. Instead, the Tigers tightened the screws on the brotherhood that they\u2019d constructed, coming together for a 9-point win. As the final buzzer sounded, they reminded everyone why you don\u2019t poke the bear, waving goodbye to the opposing fans and doing the Crimson Crane in unison right on the cursive A logo. Even a brown leather belt made an appearance in the locker room.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKnowing that when we get the chance to come to your spot, dominate and do what we do, I just feel like that just gives us more confidence, more energy that we need,\u201d Tahaad said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In practice, in the film room, on the court, off the court, that\u2019s just who they are. At the end of the bench, after a blocked shot, following a top 10 win, \u201cWe\u2019re like that all the time,\u201d Johni says. They know they\u2019re cold and they know everyone\u2019s watching them enjoy the hell out of the journey, from Tik Toks to the end of the bench. They know they\u2019re the favorites, and they know the Maui Invitational isn\u2019t the only trophy they want resting in The Plains this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know this, we can be excited to play, and with the schedule that we still have, we’re gonna lose some games. I get that, but this team’s been ready to play, I think because they got something to prove,\u201d Coach Pearl says. \u201cThis team’s got a chip on its shoulder. I don’t look at us as where we’re ranked right now in the country. I look at us as who we are, [a] collection of who we are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SHOP AUBURN COLLECTION<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Portraits by Diwang Valdez<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Like most hoopers during the holiday season, Johni Broome, Tahaad Pettiford and their Auburn teammates grew up watching college basketball\u2019s best at the annual Maui Invitational. Winning it all on national television inside the Lahaina Civic Center during Thanksgiving break was the dream. Last November, it became the Tigers\u2019 reality. After an 18-point comeback win […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":448,"featured_media":826299,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[65307],"tags":[65366,2117,62525,65349,65317,65091,65367],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-826279","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-digital-covers","tag-auburn","tag-auburn-tigers","tag-feature-1","tag-johni-broome","tag-mens-college-basketball","tag-slamu","tag-tahaad-pettiford"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/826279","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/448"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=826279"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/826279\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":826378,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/826279\/revisions\/826378"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/826299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=826279"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=826279"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=826279"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=826279"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}