In the first 26 games this season, Chris Moore played less than 10 minutes only once: on January 13 in a 93-78 victory victory against LSU.

In the last two games, the forward has seen three minutes of playing time, including none in Wednesday night's loss to Tennessee in Knoxville.

So how is Moore, who started for a majority of the season, handling his role? Precisely like a senior leader would.

"The type of guy Chris is, he's for the team," Johni Broome said. "He doesn't really care. Even when he was playing a lot, he wasn't trying to shoot 10 times and do all that other stuff. He was doing all the little small things. Now that his role has decreased even more, he's still doing the small things."

Never a big scorer on offense – Moore has scored in double digits just once this season –he is counted more on the defensive side, where he's one of the players that brings the energy. He's attempted just 51 shots this season, but his presence has been missed when the Tigers are defending in the last two games.

"Where we miss Chris Moore is we miss his voice," Bruce Pearl said. "He's our best defensive communicator. He's got great toughness, Chris does. But so does Lior (Berman). So the decision was to just try to bring a little bit more offense into the 3 spot."

Berman got Moore's missing minutes in the last two games, playing 22 total. Pearl and his staff have been looking for ways to get the senior guard more minutes, which has come at Moore's expense. Yet even on the bench, his leadership has stayed at peak level, bringing the energy to the Tigers.

"Now that his role has decreased even more, he's still doing the small things," Broome said. "Somebody misses a couple shots, comes to the bench (or) turns the ball, he's sitting next to them: 'Hey, you're good, man. Don't worry about it. Don't hold your head. Get back in there. Make a play next time.' He's still doing those things. Even for the guys who are in front of him like Lior and Chad at his position."

And, as Broome puts it, Moore's position on this team is vital to how far the Tigers can go once March Madness begins.

"I feel like every team who wants to make a run to March Madness needs a guy like Chris Moore," he said. "We have one on our team, so that's good."