SAN ANTONIO -- Four days after he suffered an elbow injury in Auburn's Elite Eight win over Michigan State, Johni Broome said he'll be ready to go with "no limitations" Saturday for the Final Four.
Broome returned to Sunday's game after being injured midway through the second half but spent this week in rehab, preparing for his team's rematch against Florida. On Thursday he had a sleeve on his right elbow as he spoke with reporters, but he said he's not concerned about his availability against the Gators, who beat the Tigers 90-81 on Auburn's home floor on Feb. 8.
"I did a lot with my elbow [this week]," Broome said on Thursday in San Antonio. "I took care of it. I kind of made it mad a little bit, just pushed it a little bit. Pushed my limits with it. But by Saturday, I'm going to be 100 percent."
Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said Broome, who returned to practice Thursday for the first time since he suffered the injury, will make a difference against any opponent.
"Well, I'm glad he feels that way [about being 100 percent]. Today was the first day he moved and practiced, so I was glad to see him," Pearl said Thursday. "Obviously, it was good to see him out there, and the one thing Johni Broome showed in this NCAA tournament is that there was another level. There was another gear. Everybody keeps watching him and wondering 'When is he going to fizzle? When is he going to not show up?' And he just, again, managed to step up. He was 10-for-13 against Michigan State, and that was a huge difference for us.
"Look, Florida recognizes that, and Florida's bigs are a little bigger and a little bit more athletic than Michigan State's or Michigan's bigs, but he was the MVP of the South Region and we rode him hard, and we're going to ride him hard again on Saturday."
Broome suffered the injury as he tried to block Michigan State forward Frankie Fidler's shot in Auburn's 70-64 win. Broome briefly left the court to see trainers in the locker room but returned after the team's medical staff said he had not suffered any major damage.
That's good news for a team that hopes the SEC Player of the Year will be at full strength Saturday.
"He's been doing a great job of trying to get it better and staying in the training room," Auburn standout Miles Kelly said Thursday. "But he's definitely going to be ready for Saturday."