Johni Broome leaves it all out as Auburn's run ends

Broome was in more pain than he'll ever let on.

SAN ANTONIO — Exactly 30 minutes after Johni Broome’s college career came to an end, his silhouette emerged from the Auburn locker room.

Head hung low, hoody obscuring any facial expression, Broome took a few steps to the back of a golf cart that awaited him. His coach, Bruce Pearl, saved him a seat. Nearby, a Tigers staffer held his final game jersey.

The road to the press conference through the bowels of the Alamodome was plenty long — longer, likely, than the press conference itself. Seated with Pearl and three teammates, Broome answered three questions, then took the same long ride back to the locker room, where more reporters awaited him.

Auburn, the No. 1 overall seed in this NCAA tournament, fell to fellow No. 1 seed Florida, 79-73, on Saturday. The Tigers led by as many as nine in the first half, before the Gators blitzed them across the final 20 minutes, making play after play on offense as Auburn flailed on the other end. The Tigers’ second Final Four trip in the past six tournaments again ended in the national semifinals, which meant the end of the road for Broome.

The 6-foot-10 phenom had been the face of what was college basketball’s top team for much of the season. If Duke freshman Cooper Flagg had any serious challenger to every player of the year honor, it was Broome.