“I’ve got to try to get some rings for Charles, so he can float them back at Magic.” Bruce Pearl said it with a smirk before the Elite Eight, but the weight behind those words was all heart. Auburn’s run didn’t end with rings—just another round of heartbreak. As the final buzzer echoed through the arena, Charles Barkley, courtside and stoic, swallowed emotion the way only legends do. The scoreboard read 79–73 in Florida’s favor. But in that defeat, something powerful still passed between eras—through a handshake, a hug, and a few words shared by two men cut from Auburn’s same cloth. Because sometimes, legacy isn’t a trophy—it’s who you hand your jersey to.

March Madness’ official X handle summed it up in one gut-punch post: “March Sadness for Chuck.” Barkley, who had been Auburn’s loudest supporter all tournament long, watched Walter Clayton Jr. hang 34 on his Tigers.

But it was Johni Broome—battered and braced—who kept Auburn afloat for as long as he could. Playing through an arm injury, Broome notched 12 points and four rebounds in the first half alone, carving out a 26–14 paint advantage.

Even from the booth, Barkley saw what was happening on the hardwood. “They’re not doubling Broome, so he’s going to have to dominate in the paint,” he analyzed. “We’re up a lot in the paint. Give Florida credit; that’s their game plan. They’re trying not to let our 3-point shooters get started. I do think at some point we’re going to have to make some 3s. But right now, we’re taking what they’re giving us and Johni is punishing them down low.”

And punish them Broome did—early. But as the game wore on, the Gators dragged the Tigers into their murky marshes. Auburn’s momentum sunk, and Florida surged behind Walter Clayton Jr.’s 34-point eruption, sealing a 79–73 stunner that left Barkley watching in heartbreak.

After the buzzer, Broome’s bruised arm wasn’t the only thing weighing heavy — the moment was thick with emotion, history, and silent tribute. As he walked off the hardwood for what may be the final time in an Auburn jersey, Johni Broome wasn’t alone.

Waiting on the sideline, arms open and eyes glassy, was the man whose shadow looms largest over Auburn basketball — Charles Barkley. The 11-time NBA All-Star didn’t offer advice or critique. Just an embrace, and a simple, powerful “Thank you.”

It wasn’t showbiz. It wasn’t staged. It was one Auburn legend acknowledging the rise of another. “He just, you know, thanked me for what I’ve done for Auburn, you know, told me to keep my head high… you know,” Broome told CBS Sports, recounting the moment.

And then, with the calm clarity of someone who knows exactly what he’s done for the program, Broome said: “Coming from a guy who’s cemented himself in Auburn history, it means a lot.”

No confetti. No national title. But in that quiet exchange — in the tear-filled eyes of Barkley and the steady humility of Broome — Auburn may have witnessed the passing of a torch.

Better Than Barkley? Auburn’s Torch Passes to Johni Broome

When Barkley left Auburn in 1984, the program was a blip on the national radar—no Final Fours, no SEC titles. He put it on the map with his bruising brilliance, but it took decades for the Tigers to roar. Enter Broome in 2022, who arrived as Auburn was fresh off its 2019 Final Four run under Bruce Pearl. Where Barkley built the foundation, Broome raised the roof—leading Auburn to three straight Sweet 16s, a No. 1 seed in 2025, and a national spotlight Barkley could only dream of in his day.

Broome has done everything short of cutting down the nets. The Florida native built a resume that reads like a myth in the making: three-time All-SEC selection, SEC Tournament MVP, Auburn’s first consensus All-America pick, and finalist for every major national player of the year award.

He averaged 16.1 points and 9.5 rebounds over his career, but numbers alone don’t capture his dominance — or the way he turned the Tigers into a perennial contender. This season alone, he upped the ante: 18.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, shooting over 51% from the field. Top 10 in rebounding nationwide. Top 50 in scoring. Top 1 in presence.

And Broome knew it. Back in February, he told ESPN, “I think I am the best player in college basketball, but that’s something that doesn’t have to be said.” Turns out, it did — and it was.

Even Barkley, who once towered over Auburn’s basketball lore like a colossus, acknowledged it on March 20. “If he can finish the journey, I’d say he’s the greatest player in Auburn basketball history… He’s better than me in college,” Barkley said. High praise from a Hall of Famer who once redefined the position and averaged 14.1 points and 9.6 boards as an undersized force of nature in the ’80s.

Of course, Kenny Smith had to joke that Barkley was just an “overweight point guard,” but nobody’s laughing now — especially not when Broome came within a heartbeat of delivering the school its first national title.

Yes, Duke’s Cooper Flagg took home the Wooden Award on Saturday, joining an elite fraternity of freshmen phenoms like Durant, Davis, and Zion. But in Auburn, they know who their king is. And while a trophy may have eluded Johni Broome, greatness never did.