Auburn basketball forward Johni Broome was given a striking admission from an LSU star after the Tigers' seventh straight win. Auburn barely missed out on beating the spread in the 87-74 victory as head coach Bruce Pearl's team moved to 19-1 overall and 7-0 in SEC play. Broome was the standout again, with 26 points and 16 rebounds. The senior is a legitimate Naismith Player of the Year candidate and the best player on the No. 1 team in the country.

In an interview with Auburn Observer reporter Justin Ferguson, LSU star Cam Carter acknowledged what makes Auburn so tough this year and the cream of the crop in the SEC.

“They're a really talented team. Johni Broome did a lot of damage. That's probably the separator right there.”

Cam Carter is a valid source when it comes to recognizing Auburn's strengths. The senior from Donaldsville, Louisiana is LSU's leading scorer and looks primed to be an All-SEC selection. The Tigers have already played some of the best teams in the conference, like No. 4 Alabama and No. 11 Texas A&M. This kind of compliment showcases why Auburn basketball has not lost a game yet in the best league in the country.

And it's not like Auburn has had an easy road to its winning streak. Bruce Pearl's team has beaten three ranked opponents, including No. 6 Tennessee in a thriller. What's even scarier for the rest of the country is that Broome is looking 100% now after going through a few injury scares this season. In 17 games of action, the Plant City, Florida native is averaging a career-high 17.8 points and 10.9 assists.

Still, the road doesn't get any easier for the Tigers. Trips to Kentucky, Texas A&M, and Alabama are still on the horizon, as well as a monumental home clash against Florida. Overall, this looks like the best Auburn team Bruce Pearl has developed, which is a significant accomplishment since the Tigers made their first Final Four appearance ever under their current head coach in 2019.

However, with the combination of talent and experience Auburn basketball has this year, this feels like the year this program can truly win a national championship. Bruce Pearl has done a lot of extraordinary things in his decorated career. But winning a title with the Tigers would fully cement Pearl as a future Hall of Famer. And if that happens, it will be mainly because of the contributions of Johni Broome.