Rick Barnes Convinced Johni Broome Is Playing Saturday

Image: moorenews.com

By Cody McClure

Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes was at a speaking engagement earlier today at Calhoun’s in Knoxville.

He spoke to a crowd of roughly 100 people on the river.

A source that was in attendance said one of the noteworthy statements Barnes made was that he was convinced Auburn’s Johni Broome will play Saturday when the Tigers host the Vols.

Broome, who is a likely candidate for national player of the year, has missed the last couple games with a sprained ankle.

Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said Monday at the Birmingham Tip Off Club that he didn’t anticipate Broome practicing much “certainly at the beginning of the week.”

He added, though, “we’ll probably evaluate him later on this week.”

Whether Broome plays or not, Auburn is stunningly loaded and capable of exploding.

“He’s working really hard to get back and it’s hard in this league without your best player,” Pearl said.

Barnes also noted that he thought Broome may be the best mid-major basketball transfer in the history of college basketball.

(although Tennessee had a pretty good one last year, too)

The game tips at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.