Morehead State transfer Johni Broome, one of the most sought-after big men in the portal this offseason, committed to Auburn on Saturday, a massive pickup for the defending SEC champs. He also strongly considered signing with home-state Florida in a decision that essentially was 50-50 over the past week, according to sources close to his recruitment.

The 6-foot-10 Broome was among 15 players in the country who averaged a double-double this past season (16.8 points, 10.5 rebounds), helping Morehead State to a 23-11 record. The Ohio Valley Conference defensive player of the year averaged 3.9 blocks per game and posted the seventh-highest block percentage nationally. Broome will be a junior, though with the COVID-19 exemption, he could have up to three years of eligibility remaining.

“Todd Golden and Bruce Pearl are both good guys, both energetic coaches that I could see me playing my hardest for every single night,” Broome said in an announcement on social media. “Auburn felt like home. Great fan base and it was a great environment to play in when we played there last year.

“Now that Jabari (Smith) and Walker (Kessler) both left, it was an opportunity to jump in and fill a big role.”