This is an opinion column.

____________________

Call God, as Johni Broome likes to say.

Let the Big Guy know that Auburn’s All-Everything legend not only deserves national player of the year after his Elite 8 heroics, but a statue next to Charles Barkley, too.

Michigan State wanted to make it close after Broome left the Elite 8 with his elbow injury. The pro-Auburn crowd was silent when Broome was resting on the court in pain. Then, when Broome appeared to tell his teammates that he wasn’t coming back, it felt like Auburn’s season was suddenly on the brink.

Broome’s parents were even escorted to the back to be with their son.

There was nervous energy inside Atlanta’s State Farm Arena. Was Auburn’s magical ride coming to an end?

Nah, not a chance.

Not with Broome still in the building.

When Broome emerged from the locker room and entered the game, the arena here in Atlanta erupted with love for Auburn’s captain. His elbow was wrapped with tape and over top of that was a protective sleeve.

Broome was back, and it was an inspiring gesture from Auburn’s leader, but it looked like he couldn’t lift his arm.

When Broome hit that one-armed 3-pointer a few scenes later, the Spartans were done and Auburn had punched its ticket to the Final Four. Final score: Auburn 70, Michigan State 64.

What a dream. What a time. What a team.

“All glory to God,” Broome said. “I hit the 3-ball and called game.”

Said coach Bruce Pearl: “Just keep doubting him and keep thinking that he’s not going to get to another gear. You talk about delivering at the biggest moments?”

After it was all over, and Broome was cutting down the nets, he turned around and reflected on his time at Auburn.

“Words can’t even describe it,” Broome said. “The fact that this team has been working so hard from the first time I talked to the coach. This was part of our plans and part of our goals.

“Looking down and seeing my teammates, it means the world to me getting a chance to deliver for my Auburn family.”

“It was a scary moment, but my team had my back,” Broome said after the game.

Next up, the Florida Gators in San Antonio.

When he was asked about San Antonio, Broome offered words that frame this season for his Tigers.

“Call God,” he said.

Auburn has rallied around the expression for months. What does it mean? It’s a team celebration more than a taunt directed towards opponents.

How was Broome feeling after the game? Broome noted in the postgame news conference that he was “thankful to be healthy.”

He’ll be sore, but it looks like Auburn dodged catastrophe.

Auburn is back in the Final Four for the first time since the run in 2019 when the Tigers knocked off blue-bloods Kansas, North Carolina and Kentucky all in a row. This path was a little easier, but San Antonio will be a showcase for future NBA talent.

Every No.1 seed advanced to the Final Four. No Cinderellas. Only monsters, and Auburn, for all of its greatness, is 1-2 against the field.

It’s Auburn vs. Florida at 5:09 p.m. CT on Saturday in an SEC showdown and then Duke vs. Houston in the nightcap.

“I think the four teams are the four best teams in the country,” Pearl said. “That obviously doesn’t always happen.”

Neither does the atmosphere in Atlanta that helped Auburn along the way. No one who was there will ever forget it. Auburn’s fans turned the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 into a couple of home games. Everyone and their cousin were there. Even football coach Hugh Freeze made the trip despite spring practice.

Freeze, who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, joined the basketball team on the court for the victory celebration. The first person Freeze hugged was Steven Pearl, the Auburn basketball assistant who is also the son of the coach.

It was Steven Pearl who turned to the crowd in the first half and asked for more noise. Freshman Tahaad Pettiford had just drilled a 3-pointer and Auburn was cooking. The shot came amid a 17-0 run.

The arena answered Young Pearl’s request. It was so deafeningly loud in State Farm Arena at that moment that ear protection didn’t do much of anything.

Ears were ringing after it was all over, souls were singing and back in Auburn the toilet paper flew.

BE HEARD

Got a question for Joe? Want to get something off your chest? Send Joe an email about what’s on your mind. Let your voice be heard. Ask him anything.

Joseph Goodman is the lead sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of the book “We Want Bama: A Season of Hope and the Making of Nick Saban’s Ultimate Team.”