“I think I am the best player in college basketball, but that’s something that doesn’t have to be said,” Johni Broome told ESPN back in February. Fast forward to today, and Broome finally has the chance to prove it. Auburn’s star big man is headed into the Final Four, carrying not just his team’s hopes—but the weight of a conversation that’s taken over college basketball. A potential rematch with Duke looms on Monday night’s national championship stage, but first, Broome and the Tigers have to get past Florida. One step at a time. Still, there’s an elephant in the room. The National Player of the Year award? It’s already been decided—and it didn’t go to Broome. And fans? Yeah, they’re not happy.

If you’ve been following college hoops even half-closely, you probably aren’t surprised by who took the crown. Cooper Flagg. The Duke freshman sensation whose game has looked NBA-ready from day one. Scoring? Check. Rebounding? Check. Playmaking? Also check. The 18-year-old does it all, and somehow, makes it look easy.

That’s why he’s been projected as the No. 1 pick in this summer’s NBA Draft. And now, with the AP Men’s College Basketball National Player of the Year title under his belt, he just became the fourth freshman in the 64-year history of the award to earn that honor.

Think about the company he joins: Zion Williamson (2019), Anthony Davis (2012), and Kevin Durant (2007). Legends. And like them, Flagg could easily be a top-two pick come June. Oh, and Duke? They now have the most winners in the award’s history—eight in total. No other school comes close.

This year, it came down to two names: Cooper Flagg and Johni Broome. That’s it. Both were unanimous First Team AP All-Americans. Both have led their squads to the Final Four. And in the end, Flagg earned 41 of 61 votes from the AP Top 25 panel, edging out Broome in what many considered a tight race.

There’s a reason behind it. Flagg arrived at Duke with sky-high expectations, even after reclassifying to graduate early from high school. And he didn’t just meet those expectations—he surpassed them.

He led the Blue Devils in nearly every major statistical category: 18.9 points per game (team-high), 7.5 rebounds (team-high), 4.2 assists (team-high), 1.4 steals (team-high) whereas 1.3 blocks, second only to Duke’s true center.

Not bad for a freshman who’s still technically supposed to be in high school.

“I hold myself to a high standard, high expectations,” Flagg told the AP. “Just because I know how much work I’ve put in and how many hours I’ve spent grinding… It’s those expectations of just trusting what you do and just doing it to the highest level.”

And he walked the talk. Remember his 42-point game against Notre Dame? A freshman record. Or that highlight-reel dunk in transition against Pittsburgh that sent social media into a frenzy? How about the 30-piece he dropped on Arizona in the Sweet 16—one that head coach Jon Scheyer called, “one of the best tournament performances I’ve ever coached or been a part of.”

That’s the thing about Flagg: he’s got the highlights, the numbers, and the wins. He’s the centerpiece of a Duke squad that ranks top-five in both offensive and defensive efficiency, according to KenPom—the only team in the country to do so. And beyond the box score, he’s made the little sacrifices, too. He started showing up early for recovery sessions. He ditched late-night phone scrolling after teammates emphasized the importance of sleep. That’s next-level maturity.

So yes—based on performance, poise, and potential, Cooper Flagg led the game. But… that doesn’t mean the result landed well with everyone.

The reason why Johni Broome deserved POTY? Fans’s stance!

As the official announcement dropped, fans didn’t hold back. Within minutes, the comment section was on fire—and surprisingly, much of that heat wasn’t directed at Cooper Flagg’s brilliance but at the decision itself. “Terrible choice. Should have been Broome!” penned one user, echoing what’s become a growing sentiment across the college hoops community.

And honestly? It’s not coming out of nowhere. Johni Broome had been a fan favorite all year—not because he was flashy, but because he was real. His journey is the kind you root for.

He didn’t start with the hype machine behind him. Instead, he began at Morehead State, where he had to put in serious work just to get noticed. There, he focused on developing his quickness, refining his game to a point where high-level Division I programs couldn’t ignore him anymore.

That grind led him to Auburn ahead of the 2022-23 season, stepping into the footsteps of former Tigers Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler—two towering forces who went No. 3 and No. 22 in the 2022 NBA Draft. When they left, Auburn needed a new anchor, and Broome stepped right into that role. Quietly. Confidently. Consistently.

“100%. Johni Broome should have won it,” another user chimed in—and the numbers back it up. After averaging 14.2 points and 8.4 rebounds in his first season at Auburn, Broome leveled up in every way this year: 18.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 20 double-doubles. He didn’t just play. He carried.

Even former Villanova head coach and now CBS analyst Jay Wright couldn’t ignore it. In a recent Q&A with CBS Sports’ David Cobb, Wright said: “I could go either way. But if I had to pick, I’d probably pick Johni Broome, because I feel like he’s been slightly more valuable to his team’s success than Cooper Flagg. But both of them have been elite in their ability to lead their teams.”

And he’s got a point.

“Couldn’t agree more. Day in and day out JB delivered in the toughest conference in the nation,” added another fan online. Both Broome and Flagg are averaging over 18.5 points per game, but Broome holds the edge on the boards—10.9 rebounds to Flagg’s 7.5. That’s not a small gap. That’s domination.

Even more impressive? Broome isn’t doing it alone. He’s got four teammates averaging double digits—proof that Auburn isn’t built around one star, but a full, balanced attack. Meanwhile, at Duke, only two players outside Flagg are putting up similar numbers.

Sure, Flagg has him beat in free-throw percentage and assists, but Broome is shooting better overall, blocking more shots, and physically commanding the court in a way few others have this season.

“Agreed. Level of competition all season,” one spectator pointed out. “100%,” added another. So, where did it all go wrong?

To get the full picture, you’ve got to look at Auburn’s regular season run. Between December 4 and March 4, the Tigers lost just one game. One.

They spent most of the season hovering around the top of the national rankings, and while they did stumble a bit—going 1-3 just before the NCAA tournament—that doesn’t erase what they accomplished. Auburn was chasing both a national title and an SEC regular-season crown in a year when the conference sent a record-breaking 14 teams to the tournament.

And through it all? Johni Broome was their rock.

His 25-point, 14-rebound performance in the Elite Eight win over Michigan State wasn’t just another stat line—it was his 20th double-double of the season. That’s not hype. That’s history.

Yes, Cooper Flagg is the projected No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. Yes, his highlight reels are jaw-dropping and made for SportsCenter. But Broome has had some of the most dominant all-around performances of the year—he just did it without the bright lights constantly following him.

And while the award may be in Flagg’s hands, the conversation is far from over. Because this weekend, both Flagg and Broome will be suiting up for the Final Four—and fans are hungry to see them go head-to-head, not in a popularity contest, but where it really counts: on the court.