CBB Review hands out awards for each conference tournament in 2024. Up next: The SEC Tournament.
Whatever was expected to happen in the SEC Tournament was thrown to the wayside. Nashville typically doesn’t disappoint, and this year was no exception. In the SEC Tournament preview article, the author had Tennessee face off against Kentucky in the finals. As it turns out, neither team made it past the quarterfinals. But Auburn, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, and Florida did. The Tigers met the Gators in the finals, where they cruised in the second half to an 86-67 win on the back of a Johni Broome double-double.
CBB Review SEC Tournament Most Outstanding Player
Johni Broome, Auburn
Somewhat overshadowed this year by SEC Player of the Year Dalton Knecht for Tennessee, (as well as Auburn’s overall depth) was Johni Broome. In his second season with the team, he led the conference in PER, box plus/minus, defensive win shares, and win shares/40 minutes. He’s just an all-around valuable presence in the paint, and just him being on the court helps the rest of the team get open looks. The SEC tournament was no different, as Broome recorded two double-doubles in three games and scored in double-digits in all of those three contests. Against the Bulldogs and Gators, he recorded three blocks apiece in each game. If there’s a player that’s been slept on this year in the SEC, it’s Broome. Auburn’s opponents can’t make that mistake in the tournament.
CBB Review All-SEC Tournament First Team
- G: Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State – 3 GP (20.7 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.7 SPG)
- G: Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M – 3 GP (27.3 PPG, 3.7 APG, 2.3 RPG)
- G: Zyon Pullin, Florida – 4 GP (15.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.5 APG)
- F: Tyrese Samuel, Florida – 4 GP (15.5 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.0 BPG)
- F: Johni Broome, Auburn – 3 GP (15.7 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.7 APG, 2.0 BPG)
Auburn’s NCAA Tournament Prediction
Sweet Sixteen
Is Auburn better than a Sweet Sixteen-caliber team? Absolutely. They’re 4th in the latest KenPom ratings. Unfortunately, their SEC tournament championship only resulted in the Tigers getting a 4 seed from the selection committee. “Well, that’s not too bad, it’s certainly manageable,” one would think. But the selection committee also did Auburn no favors with who they have to play. Yale won’t be a pushover in the first round, and we all know what 5-seed San Diego State is capable of. If Auburn manages to get past those two teams (there’s a chance they’d have to face 12-seed UAB instead of SDSU), then they’d almost certainly play the best team in the tournament: the defending champions UConn Huskies. I’m a believer in Auburn’s talent and depth, but I can’t in good conscience pick them to defeat both San Diego State and UConn back-to-back.
It’s a shame, because this team was probably deserving of a better seed, and correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think we’ve ever had a top-4 KenPom matchup before the Elite Eight before. It’s just a really tough draw for this team.