As Auburn sends two of its standout players to the NBA Draft Combine, Johni Broome and Tahaad Pettiford head to Chicago under very different circumstances and stakes. With most of Auburn’s Final Four roster having used up their eligibility, only Broome and Pettiford received combine invites, but what’s on the line for each is worlds apart.
For Broome, a First-Team All-American and dominant big man over two seasons at Auburn after transferring from Morehead State, this Combine could be pivotal. Standing 6-foot-10 and weighing 240 pounds, Broome has an old-school game that doesn’t quite fit today’s NBA mold. He’ll need to show growth in his shooting range and free-throw consistency to avoid slipping into a G-League or overseas career. The Combine is his chance to prove he can adapt and belong at the next level — with no fallback option if he fails to impress.
Pettiford, however, enters with little pressure. After a dynamic freshman season as a scoring spark off the bench, he declared for the 2025 draft while preserving his college eligibility. At just 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, he’s an explosive scorer but still raw in terms of decision-making and defense. Even if his Combine performance doesn’t wow scouts, he’s expected to return to Auburn, likely landing a lucrative NIL deal and taking over as starting point guard.
While Pettiford can approach the Combine as a low-risk opportunity to shine, Broome is under far greater scrutiny, needing to prove his NBA readiness with no safety net in place.
