Auburn coach Bruce Pearl didn’t rule out a return of star forward Johni Broome for the home game against No. 6 Tennessee on Saturday night.
Pearl told ESPN that Broome, who has been out since Jan. 11 with an ankle injury, practiced “some” on Friday. He remains questionable for the game, Pearl said, and a decision is expected close to game time.
Pearl said if Broome is available to play, he wouldn’t play a normal load of minutes. His ankle has been heavily taped the past two days in practice.
Auburn has managed to thrive in Broome’s absence, as it won the game at South Carolina when the injury occurred and beat both Mississippi State at home and Georgia on the road without Broome.
No. 1 Auburn projects as the top overall seed in the NCAA tournament. Broome has been its top player, as he was considered the front-runner for National Player of the Year before the injury. Broome is Auburn’s leading scorer and rebounder with 17.9 points and 10.7 rebounds.
Another key player is in flux for the top-10 clash. Tennessee star guard Jordan Gainey has flu-like symptoms, per a team spokesman and is listed as questionable.
Gainey didn’t travel on the team bus — but rather with the support staff — on the ride from the airport to the team hotel. His status is expected to be monitored throughout the day before a decision is made.
Gainey is Tennessee’s third-leading scorer with 11.2 points per game.