Auburn’s Johni Broome makes declaration about Final Four availability

SAN ANTONIO — Auburn’s Johni Broome, the SEC Player of the Year and National Player of the Year contender, is not expecting to be limited at all by his injured right elbow. 

Broome practiced Thursday at the Alamodome for the first time since suffering the injury in Sunday’s Elite Eight and reported no issues. 

“I’m good,” the 6-foot-10 forward said. “I told [coach Bruce Pearl] yesterday I was good. He sat me out for precaution. 

“But Saturday, I’ll be 100 percent.” 

Broome landed awkwardly in the second half of the win over Michigan State.

After X-rays were negative, he returned and hit a key 3-pointer.

Broome still looked to be in discomfort after the injury. 

“It’s about being tough,” he said. “If there’s nothing too serious — if it isn’t broken — if you can play, you can play. If you can’t, you can’t.” 

Broome said he practiced fully Thursday without any limitations. 

“I didn’t miss a shot,” he said. 

Auburn, the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, will need him at his best.

It meets fellow No. 1 seed Florida, which won the lone meeting between the two teams in comfortable fashion on Feb. 8. 

“Johni was [the Most Outstanding Player] of the South Region,” Pearl said. “We rode him hard. We’re going to ride him hard again on Saturday.” 

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The Auburn-Florida meeting will pit close friends against one another.

Florida coach Todd Golden and Auburn assistant Steven Pearl are tight. 

“It’s incredible. It’s what life is all about,” Golden said. “We were laughing — we FaceTimed on Sunday after they beat Michigan State. We were shaking our heads like, ‘Man, we’re legitimately going to the Final Four, competing against each other.’ ” 

Golden coached under Steven’s father, Bruce, at Auburn from 2014-16.

He started as the director of basketball operations after a two-year stint under Kyle Smith at Columbia from 2012-14.

Steven was an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the time, and is now the associate head coach at Auburn. 

“I’m just really grateful for my relationship with them,” Golden said of the Pearls. “I think it speaks volumes about the way we build our programs that we’re both still alive right now.”