AUBURN | Lior Berman never knows when his time will come. In 17 games this season, the guard has appeared in just eight. But on Saturday against Mississippi State, with the number of available Auburn players dwindling, Berman was a heavy part of the rotation, including down the stretch in the Tigers' 69-63 victory.

So how does he stay ready to play in such critical minutes?

"Coach always preaches stay right and ready," Berman said. "That's something I have taken to heart. But also knowing that my teammates just have trust in me, my coaches believe I can go out there and compete with all the other guys. It's just a great feeling."

The 6-foot-4 guard played a season-high 13 minutes against the Bulldogs, scoring three points while grabbing three rebounds, including two late with Auburn trying to close the game out. Bruce Pearl has seen Berman continue progressing through his vital role as a scout player in practice.

"Lior is the other team's best player every day in practice," the coach said. "So he's actually kept his whole game sharp because we rely on him so much in practice. So now that he's in the rotation, he's just obviously ready."

Ready and confident to fill in after Jaylin Williams fouled out and with Chris Moore injured, forcing Allen Flanigan to go the four position and Berman to the three. Primarily known as a spot-up shooter, he also showed the ability to hit a pull-up jumper. The biggest thing, according to Berman, was remaining physical against such a tough-minded team.

"Coach Pearl talks about (how) we've got to be the most physical team, and I take that to heart," the Birmingham native said. "So, when the ball goes up, I'm finding a person that I can check out really hard and get the rebound. You just have to, late in the game, you really have to not make a mental mistake or miss a check out, so I just take that to heart."

Already a fan favorite at Neville Arena, Berman acknowledges that he hears the fans yelling his name, but only after making a basket.

"When I'm playing, it's easy to focus on the game and kind of (block out) the outside stuff, but it's cool, like if I knock down a three, the place erupts a little," he said. "It's great to hear."

And, with Moore likely being out for the near future – Pearl said he will travel to Baton Rouge for Wednesday's game against LSU – the opportunities will come more for Berman to show why he is such a valued member of this Auburn team.

"What a blessing to be able to have a player like Lior be able to come in off the bench, right and ready, and ready to fill in," Pearl said.