“Hard work alone won’t guarantee success, but without hard work, I’ll guarantee you won’t have success.” These were Bruce Pearl’s words once which still hold value. At least that is what his team’s standing reflects, and there’s no harm in claiming he has ‘championed’ success. And not just this season, he has changed the course of Auburn’s history since taking over. After securing his third regular season championship since taking over, he has his sights firmly set on the ultimate prize — the NCAA championship. But is the road all easy?

No, it isn’t. He has competition. And for the good of the fans, Johni Broome’s main competitor for the NPOY this season, Cooper Flagg, and his Duke Blue Devils will be hot on their tails. And if Jeff Goodman’s prediction turns out to be right, it could spoil the big dance for Johni Broome and Auburn. But what did he predict?

For the past few months, Jeff Goodman of The Field Of 68: After Dark podcast has been voicing his opinion on the NPOY race, claiming that Flagg is leading the pack. Naturally, this didn’t sit well with the senior forward, and Goodman had an interesting experience to share.

He says, ” I was down at Auburn last week. Johni knows that I have said lately that I was gonna pick Cooper Flagg as the National Player of the Year, he didn’t like that so um he gave me the ultimate staredown when I said that.” Speaking alongside, Robbie Hummel adds to this by saying that Broome should not have spoken to Goodman after the prediction he made.

There’s every reason for Johni Broome to be angry at Goodman. The guy’s putting up 18.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 50.4% from the field for the best team in the country. Why wouldn’t you feel hard done by after accomplishing so much? Johni’s journey has been a testament to perseverance. He was one of those players overlooked by the big programs, as he was too “skinny” for the league. He spent two years at Morehead State, averaging nearly 15 points and 10 rebounds, before finally earning his spot at Auburn. His rise has been nothing short of legendary.

But then what was the reason Goodman had to say that about Broome? He did have his justification. “I said I go I go you were the leader early. Then you got hurt I that kind of Cooper took over a little bit and took a little bit of a lead. And now I think it’s neck and neck.” Is it justified now? For fans to decide! But why is Cooper considered a threat again? Well, because of this one move of his.

Unfortunately for Broome and Auburn, they’re up against a generational talent in Cooper Flagg, who’s hinted at returning for another year instead of chasing the massive $398.5 million rookie contract awaiting the No. 1 pick in the draft. Flagg has been nothing short of spectacular this season. He is averaging 19.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. With those numbers, it’s hard to argue that he doesn’t deserve a shot at NPOY and why he probably wants to stay another year, so you can’t blame Goodman for backing him.

That said, Goodman seems to have had a change of heart. Let’s explore what he has to say about the NPOY race now.

Goodman wants Flagg and Broome to win co-player of the year

In a shocking turn of events, Jeff Goodman has decided to change his opinion in favor of both superstars sharing the award. In the same podcast, he says, ” Now I think it’s neck and neck, I really do.” He continues, ” It’s almost like honestly, I hate doing this , it’s the ultimate cop-out, and I am not gonna do it but the cop-out is co-player of the year.”

Honestly, it makes a lot of sense. Throughout the season, the NPOY race has been down to two players. Kam Jones was briefly in the mix, but it quickly became clear that it was always going to come down to these two. Both have been exceptional statistically.

For Broome, Auburn playing in the most competitive conference does help make a strong case for him, but Cooper Flagg’s Duke did beat them, so there’s that to take into consideration as well. The NPOY race has been one of the most competitive battles in the recent past and it won’t be a surprise if both end up sharing the award as they’re both incredibly deserving! Who do you think is winning the NPOY this year? Or is it going to be shared like Goodman predicts, do let us know in the comments.