Lior Berman Returning Next Season

[aubiefifty 17,492]

Lior Berman returning to Auburn basketball for fifth season

Richard Silva, Montgomery Advertiser

2–3 minutes

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AUBURN — Auburn basketball walk-on Lior Berman is returning for a fifth season with the Tigers, he announced via Instagram on Wednesday.

Berman, who first joined the team in 2019, broke into the rotation in his third year on the Plains and once again saw meaningful action as a senior last season, averaging 9.4 minutes in 25 games. He averaged 2.2 points, 1.2 rebounds and shot 35.5% from beyond the 3-point arc.

"See y'all next year in The Jungle," Berman wrote in his announcement.

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Berman, who dropped a career-high eight points on three occasions last season, set Neville Arena into a frenzy during the regular-season finale against Tennessee in March after he skied for a fast-break dunk about midway through the second half, extending Auburn's lead to six on the way to a crucial nine-point victory over the Vols.

Coach Bruce Pearl said before that if he had 13 scholarships to hand out last season − the Tigers were limited to 12, a punishment stemming from former assistant Chuck Person's involvement in a bribery scandal − he would have likely given one to Berman. Speaking at an AMBUSH event in Atlanta on April 25, Pearl said he may look to give a scholarship to a walk-on this season now that he's back up to 13.

A native of Birmingham, Berman played at Mountain Brook High School and helped lead the Spartans to a No. 5 ranking by both USA TODAY and MaxPreps during his senior season.

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Lior Berman returning to Auburn basketball for fifth season

Edited May 3, 2023 by aubiefifty

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There’s the announcement

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Lior Berman 'looking forward' to one more season with Auburn basketball

Justin Hokanson

Lior Berman dribbles against Texas A&M inside Neville Arena during the 2022-23 season. (Photo by Getty Images)

AUBURN — Lior Berman arrived at Auburn four years ago as an invited walk-on hoping to simply earn and keep his position on Auburn’s basketball team from one year to the next.

Berman’s seen his minutes played increase each season, averaging one minute per game as a freshman to averaging over nine minutes per game as a senior. The Mountain Brook, Ala. native will graduate this weekend with a degree in Industrial Design, but isn’t ready to give up his college basketball days quite yet. 

“These four years here, I came here as a freshman trying to earn a spot on the team. I worked hard that year. Sophomore year, I worked hard, too. Each year, I’ve improved and I’ve always loved my teammates. I want to continue to make history at Auburn. I want to keep going and there’s no better place to do that than Auburn for me,” Berman told Auburn Live.

“Last year, I was able to improve. I feel like I’ve been a steady path through four years. Building off last year, I’m not satisfied. I feel like I can continue to help the team, if I put in the work this summer. I’m looking forward to this next year. I can continue to build on what I’ve already built on at Auburn.”

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Planning on pursuing a professional basketball career in Israel, those plans will wait at least one more year.

Lior Berman recorded career highs in games played (25), minutes played (236), field goal attempts, three-point field goal attempts and makes, points and more during the 2022-23 season. Berman tied his career-high in points (8) three times this past season, all in SEC play.

After spending the past four years as a walk on, Berman is expected to earn a scholarship for his final season at Auburn, although nothing is official in that regard.

As it stands now, the Tigers have nine scholarship players. Six are returners from last season in Tre Donaldson, KD Johnson, Chris Moore, Jaylin Williams, Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell. Auburn has signed two transfers from the portal in Denver Jones and Chaney Johnson, and are in good position to land Vanderbilt transfer Tyrin Lawrence. That would make nine scholarship players. Aden Holloway is set to join the roster this summer, upping the scholarship number to 10. That leaves three scholarships remaining. 

Pearl and staff continue to recruit both the transfer portal and high school ranks, but it appears likely that Berman will receive one of the final few scholarships remaining.

Auburn concluded last season with a 21-13 record, the Tigers’ fifth 20-win season under Pearl in the past six years. The Tigers’ 10-8 record in SEC play was good for 7th place in the league standings. With the roster overhaul nearly complete and summer approaching, Berman likes the potential of next year’s squad.

“I’ve met the guys coming in. I can tell they are coming here to really work,” Berman said. “I really believe this summer is going to be a productive summer. Everybody is locked in. Guys returning, guys coming in. I think we’re going to come together and do something good.”

[autan 773]

Great news about Berman. A true Auburn man. In the back of my mind I had thought LB might grad transfer to Samford to reunite with his HS coach Bucky Mac.