What it means: Johni Broome, Jaylin Williams enter names into NBA Draft
AUBURN — Auburn front court teammates Johni Broome and Jaylin Williams both entered their names into the NBA Draft process this week.
Broome averaged over 14 points, eight rebounds and two blocks per game in his first season at Auburn after transferring from Morehead State.
Broome played his first two seasons at Morehead State before transferring ahead of this past season to the Tigers. As a sophomore with the Eagles, Broome was named 2022 Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
“First off, I would like to thank God for putting me in this position, as I wouldn’t be where I am today without Him. I would also like to thank my family, friends, teammates, and coaches for all your support throughout my career so far. It’s been an honor to put on an Auburn uniform each and every game and wouldn’t trade it for anything, nor be in this position today without everyone’s love and belief in me as a player,” Broom said in a statement.
“After discussions with my family and staff at Auburn, and as I look toward the future and the next step in my career, I have made the decision to enter my name into the 2023 NBA draft, while retaining my eligibility. I look forward to obtaining valuable feedback that will assist me in my lifelong goal of playing in the NBA, and appreciate all your support along this journey!”
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Williams averaged over 11 points per game, four rebounds and two assists per game. Williams was a bench player as a junior for the Tigers after being a starter as a sophomore. During that 2020-21 season, Williams averaged 10.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks on 51.8% shooting.
Before coming to Auburn, Jaylin Williams was a four-star prospect coming out of Nahunta (Ga.) Brantley County. He was the No. 113 overall recruit and No. 20 power forward in the 2019 On3 Industry Ranking. The On3 Industry is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four major recruiting media services. The On3 Industry Ranking is the most advanced, complete and unbiased rating and ranking measurement in the industry.
“Auburn family, thanks to you, my basketball journey has been unforgettable. Without you all, I wouldn’t be where I am today. An Auburn man,” Williams said.
He continued on, thanking Bruce Pearl and the Auburn coaching staff, saying, “With that being said, I will be entering my name into the 2023 NBA Draft while maintaining my collegiate eligibility. I’m looking forward to this next step in my career and can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
What do their decisions mean?
Williams has one more year remaining due to the additional Covid year. Broome had one more year remaining anyway, but could theoretically play two more years because of the Covid year. Entering their names into the draft process is nothing new for players under Pearl. It’s a win-win situation. Broome and Williams will receive feedback on their draft stock, and can then return to Auburn, if they choose.
From a PR standpoint, they get their moment in the sun to declare for the draft and receive attention. Auburn also gets the added attention of having players enter their names into the draft. If they players return, they get the joy of announcing their return and Auburn gets more positive attention for having quality players return for another season.
Auburn Live expects both Broome and Williams to return to Auburn for the 2023-24 season. The duo joins Wendell Green Jr. who also entered his name into the draft. Regardless of his decision to stay in the draft or attempt to stay in college for another season, Auburn Live doesn’t expect Green Jr. to return to Auburn.
Now, we await Allen Flanigan‘s decision. It’s expected that Flanigan will also enter his name into the NBA Draft.
