Auburn’s Johni Broome, Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner centers of attention in March Madness matchup

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LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Johni Broome and Ryan Kalkbrenner are big men with big-time experience on the March Madness stage.

Just not against each other, which makes Saturday night’s NCAA Tournament second-round South Region showdown between overall top seed Auburn and No. 9 seed Creighton so compelling.

Plot lines abound thanks to the Tigers’ and Blue Jays’ multiple strengths, but the matchup of main men in the middle is the most intriguing.

Broome’s ability to collect double-doubles for Auburn (28-8) has made the 6-foot-10 Associated Press first team All-American and Southeastern Conference player of the year a favorite for several national awards, including the Naismith. The senior will square off in Rupp Arena against Kalkbrenner, a 7-1 shot eraser who has scored more than 2,300 points for Creighton (25-10) and matched Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing with four selections as the Big East’s top defender — and has nine NCAA wins in 12 contests.

While both tried to deflect questions elsewhere on Friday, they’re mindful that their teams’ national title fortunes center around them and are eager to see how they measure up against each other.

“He’s a really good big, very skilled and really talented,” said Broome, a 2,500-point scorer who averages 18.7 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. “We know what he does on the inside. He’s going to be a big challenge, but I think it’s one me and my team are up for.”

Kalkbrenner is a third team AP All-American who averages 19.2 points and ranks fourth nationally with 2.74 blocks per game and has more than 375 career rejections. The senior, also a finalist for multiple honors, was similarly complimentary toward Broome because of the challenge he poses on both ends.

He understands the assignment.

“He’s got good touch around the rim and is a really good passer, which makes it really hard to guard him because if you double him, he will pass out of it,” Kalkbrenner said. “But as a competitor and basketball player, you…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/auburns-johni-broome-creightons-ryan-235925254.html

Author : GARY B. GRAVES

Publish date : 2025-03-21 23:59:00

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