AUBURN | Devan Cambridge was just a 3-star prospect coming out of Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix, Ariz., but Bruce Pearl knew he was capable of so much more.

The true freshman showed that Wednesday night with a career-high 26 points in 22 minutes to lead Auburn to an 80-67 win over South Carolina. It was the most points for an Auburn player off the bench since Frank Tolbert’s 32 against Vanderbilt in 2008.

“I think it shows you why I have said that someday he could be our best player,” Pearl said. “Strong, strong statement. Because he has that kind of talent, that kind of ability, he’s got a lot to learn, he’s very anxious and a hungry learner, great kid, hard worker — and I would like to think that would give him some confidence to be able to help us more this season.”

Pearl has consistently used nine guys in his playing rotation this season, five seniors, a sophomore transfer and three true freshmen. Cambridge has been the ninth as far as minutes played, and that won’t significantly change even with his offensive outburst against the Gamecocks.

“I don’t anticipate there being a huge change,” Pearl explained. “I believe playing time and roles are earned over a long period of time and I don’t like when either my starters or the guys that know that they’re playing feel like they have to play well to play in a short period of time. I want to judge them over a long period of deal. Now, somebody gets hot, you feed the hot hand. Somebody starts playing them a little bit more. But I don’t see, necessarily, a huge swing.”

The best player on the floor Saturday when No. 16 Auburn hosts Iowa State in the Big 12/SEC Challenge, at least going into the matchup, will be Cyclone point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who is projected as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by ESPN.

Haliburton is averaging 15.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game.

“He is 6-6, long, playmaking guard, leads the Big 12 in assists, leads the Big 12 in steals, fourth in scoring, great 3-point shooter. Real thin, long body,” Pearl said. “Brilliant in ball screens and we’ve struggled defensively in ball screens some. So it’ll be a tremendous challenge for us.”

Iowa State enters the game 9-9 overall and 2-4 in the Big 12, but has played a schedule rated as the nation’s 15th toughest according to KenPom.

“It is a really, really good offensive team — special offensively,” Pearl said. “Defensively, they are good, they are not great. That is what the numbers say. That is not a criticism, it’s just as I build them up you are wondering, ‘Why am I building them up so much when they are 9-9, but they are 72 in the NET,’ which means they are right on the bubble in being in the top 68 teams in the NCAA Tournament. We are 19 in the NET so the prize on our head is significant.”

Tip-off at Auburn Arena is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on ESPNU.