Auburn figures to rise from No. 2 to No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 on Monday, but the Tigers won't have their best player for their Tuesday night Southeastern Conference game against visiting Mississippi State.
Forward/center and player of the year candidate Johni Broome was helped off the floor during Saturday's 66-63 win at South Carolina with what coach Bruce Pearl termed a significant ankle sprain.
An MRI on Sunday confirmed the post-game diagnosis. Surgery is not required, but a timeline for Broome's return isn't available yet.
Pearl is preparing the Tigers (15-1, 3-0) to be without their 6-foot-10 anchor, who leads the team in scoring (17.