Can Johni Broome and Auburn’s front court bounce back against South Carolina’s ‘big, strong boys?’
Auburn junior Johni Broome was restricted to 14 points in Saturday’s road defeat to Florida, despite scoring 24 points in a big home win over Alabama on February 7.
What is the difference in production? Florida’s choice and successful execution of a double-team against Broome.
“When he got every catch in the post, we’re going to double him,” Florida head coach Todd Golden stated of the Gators’ game strategy against Broome. “He was incredible on Wednesday against Alabama, like he made every play and I thought today we did a good job of making him see more jerseys, more bodies when he was in the paint.”
Florida’s length is derived from 7-foot-1 Micah Handlogten and 6-foot-11 Alex Condon tormented Broome and Auburn’s fellow big man, Jaylin Williams, who scored only six points against the Gators after scoring 26 against the Crimson Tide.
“They’re just so big and so long, there was a lot of length in the neighborhood inside,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said of Florida during a press conference on Tuesday. “And Alabama chose not to double. We had a significant size advantage over Alabama, but not over Florida.
Looking ahead to No. 13 Auburn’s Valentine’s Day game against No. 11 South Carolina on Wednesday, one of the most pressing questions is how the Gamecocks can defend Broome and Auburn’s frontcourt.
Pearl believes the Gamecocks haven’t done any double-teaming this season. However, as Florida did, South Carolina will have a size advantage over Auburn.
B.J. Mack, a 6-foot-8, 270-pound fifth-year forward, is set to start for South Carolina on Wednesday night. Zachary Davis and Collin Murray-Boyles, both 6-foot-7 players, frequently join Mack in the Gamecocks’ starting lineup.
“You’ll see by the size of South Carolina, big, strong boys,” Pearl stated on Tuesday.
The Gamecocks lead the SEC in scoring defense thanks to their size, keeping their opponents to an average of less than 65 points per game, which ranks 15th in the country.
Meanwhile, Auburn is averaging more than 82 points per game, ranking 24th nationally and third in the SEC. When playing at Neville Arena, the Tigers average slightly more than 85 points per game.
