This is an opinion column.

Auburn’s Johni Broome is the best player in college basketball. No, Friday’s results did not change my opinion.

Cooper Flagg was named the 2025 AP National Player of the Year, but I voted for Broome.

He’s not the most naturally talented nor is he a future lottery pick, you can give those nods to Flagg. But Broome has been the driving force of an Auburn team that entered the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 overall seed.

Voting for the AP National Player of the Year was done before the postseason, so this column won’t cover Broome’s Elite Eight heroics with one arm. However, he did plenty during the regular season to earn the nod.

To start, let’s address the elephant in the room. I’m an Auburn beat writer, meaning I’ve seen a lot more of Broome up close than Flagg or any other non-Auburn player this season.

Could that create a bias? Maybe. But, to me, seeing every moment of his dominant 2024-2025 season up close allowed me to feel even more confident in my vote when it was time to submit it.

At first glance, the numbers jump off the screen. Finishing the regular season averaging a double-double is no small feat and becomes even more impressive when considering who Broome did it against.

Auburn’s strength of schedule ranks No. 2 in the country, per KenPom, playing in arguably the strongest conference in college basketball history. The Tigers’ non-conference slate wasn’t much easier, facing teams like Duke, Houston, Iowa State, Purdue, Memphis and North Carolina, all NCAA tournament teams.

Broome averaged 21.3 points and 12.8 rebounds per game in those matchups, showing his big game pedigree existed from early in the season.

Flagg’s numbers were similarly impressive, but he didn’t encounter the kind of gauntlet Broome did. Not even close.

Duke played 10 teams in the KenPom top 50 all season, eight of which made the NCAA tournament. By comparison, Auburn played 22 top 50 games in the regular season and faced 19 of the 68 teams in the NCAA tournament field.

I also factored in what Broome overcame at multiple points in the season. Whether it was overcoming shoulder injury to drop 23 and 11 against Purdue or coming back from a sprained ankle to add 16 points, 14 rebounds and the game-winning assist against Tennessee, playing through injury became the norm for Broome.

Throughout the second half of the season, Broome consistently added double-doubles and big performances against elite opponent after elite opponent while oftentimes being less than 100%.

Then, there were the moments.

In football, the idea of a “Heisman moment” is always brought up when it comes time to crown a Heisman Trophy winner. It’s not a requirement to win the award, but it’s something fans and media members love to point toward when making an argument.

For Broome, two come to mind, both coming against bitter in-state rival, Alabama. In the first meeting, an Auburn win over the No. 2-ranked Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Broome came out hot, knocking down two early 3-pointers to set the tone for a comfortable Auburn win in the state’s biggest ever regular season college basketball game.

Auburn lost the rematch, but it was no fault of Broome’s. He played arguably the best game of his career, dropping 34 points and eight rebounds on 53.6% shooting from the field.

The exclamation point was a desperation 3-pointer in the final 20 seconds of overtime, tying the game as Alabama was surging. The Crimson Tide won the game on the next possession, but Broome’s performance in his final game at Neville Arena capped off a historic year.

Lastly, I can admit this: Choosing Broome wasn’t easy. I went back and forth between he and Flagg for a while but settled on Broome after considering all the factors mentioned above.

Flagg may have the better NBA career. He might make more money playing basketball. But Broome was the best player in college basketball this season and Auburn wouldn’t be where it is without him.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m