AP men's player of the week: Johni Broome remains dominant for No. 2 Auburn in Purdue romp
Auburn forward Johni Broome waves to fans as he checks out of the game during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Purdue, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. Credit: AP/Butch Dill
The Associated Press national player of the week in men’s college basketball for Week 7 of the season:
Johni Broome, Auburn
The 6-foot-10, 240-pound fifth-year senior and preseason Associated Press All-American is making a habit of this. This is the second straight week and third time in four weeks that Broome has been the choice, this time based on a dominant showing in a romp against then-No. 16 Purdue in his return from injury.
He finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal in the 18-point win, a game in which the Tigers at one point led by 33 points. It came days after he exited two minutes into a win against Georgia State with a shoulder injury, causing a scare for the star of a team with Final Four aspirations. Factoring out that short appearance, Broome is averaging 20.0 points and 12.5 rebounds on the season.
Runner-up
Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma. The 6-4 freshman came up huge in a neutral-court win against then-No. 24 Michigan in the Jumpman Invitational last week.
He had the go-ahead 4-point play with 11.5 seconds left in the 87-86 win, capping a night when he had a season-high 30 points and four assists. He followed with Sunday's 19-point effort in a win against Central Arkansas, keeping the Sooners unbeaten entering Christmas.
Fears is averaging 18.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists on the season.
Honorable mention
Bruce Thornton, Ohio State; Will Richard, Florida; Jordan Pope, Texas.
Auburn forward Johni Broome (4) blocks the shot of Purdue guard Braden Smith during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. Credit: AP/Butch Dill
Keep an eye on
Treysen Eaglestaff, North Dakota. The 6-6 junior has been putting up big numbers all year, and he saved his best for a national title contender in then-No. 6 Alabama.
Eaglestaff finished with a career-high 40 points on 15-for-30 shooting in the loss, including an 8-for-18 showing from behind the arc, in 35 minutes. That made him one of eight Division I players to crack the 40-point mark this season.
On the week, he scored 59 points in 56 minutes of game action and he's averaging 20.1 points on the season, making him one of 18 players in Division I averaging more than 20 points.
