Now that seniors Denver Jones, Kelly, and Johni Broome are no longer eligible, Auburn must completely rebuild its roster.
With today’s closing montage, one of the most successful veteran-led campaigns in program history comes to a conclusion.
Although the Tigers led for a large portion of the first half and maintained their lead early in the second half, they were humiliated by Florida 79-73 in the Final Four.
Jahki Howard, a reserve forward who had committed to play for the Utah Utes next season, is now departing Auburn. Johni Broome, a former teammate, shared his thoughts on the news on Instagram.
“10 to 5,” inscribed Broome. This past season, Howard averaged 4.2 points per game while playing for Auburn as a freshman. He only played 9.1 minutes a game, but he appears to have plenty of potential moving forward.
He is 6-foot-6, has amazing agility, and scouts have been interested in his defensive potential in especially. In 2024, he was a highly rated four-star recruit out of Atlanta’s Overtime Elite Academy.
With the Utes and new head coach Alex Jensen, Howard may see an increase in playing time. Jensen hopes to use his expertise as an NBA assistant coach to help the Utes succeed at the collegiate level after they placed 11th in the Big 12 with a 16–17 record last season.
He worked as an assistant for the Utah Jazz for ten years before joining Jason Kidd’s coaching staff with the Dallas Mavericks for the past two seasons. In the 1990s, he was a notable player for the Utes.
