Senior Lior Berman not afraid to make big plays

The rise has happened quickly for Lior Berman.

As a ninth-grader at Mountain Brook High School, Berman played on the freshman boys basketball team. Toward the end of that season, he was pulled up to the junior varsity squad. By the time his sophomore season began, he was playing on the varsity team.

Now as a senior, he’s one of the top players on the team.

“We realized he can be pretty decent against the varsity guys,” head coach Bucky McMillan recalled. “Then you realize he can hang with the top guys in the state. Then he becomes [one] of the better players in the state.”

McMillan went on to say that Berman was even one of the best players on the floor in the Spartans’ game against IMG Academy (Florida) during the City of Palms Classic in December. IMG was rated at the time as the No. 2 team in the country by USA Today, and Mountain Brook pulled off a 72-67 upset. 

“It’s just the progression of small steps, and he kind of took it all the way to the top,” McMillan said.

Berman attributed his ascension to hard work and a passion for the game of basketball.

“The past four years, I’ve been getting a lot stronger in the weight room and, on the court, getting as many shots up as I can and always trying to get better,” he said.

In Berman, McMillan sees a player who approaches everything he does with the right attitude.

“He looks at it like he gets to do it,” McMillan said. “Every time when we’re getting ready for practice or getting ready to play, he’s going to be excited. That’s fun to see.”

On the court, Berman has emerged as an effective complement to five-star forward Trendon Watford. He forces teams to think twice about putting extra resources into guarding Watford, McMillan said.

“If teams double and triple-team Trendon, [Berman’s] not afraid to take and make those big shots, make those big plays,” he said.

Berman’s skill-set is a balanced one as well. He’s a forward who can play in the post or step outside and knock down mid- and long-range shots.

“He’s become more of a scorer and a rebounder,” McMillan said. “He’s never been afraid to take [a big] shot. You just expect him to go get 10 to 12 points a game, but it wouldn’t surprise you if he got 20.”

His head coach calls him a “freak athlete” and a player who definitely has the ability to play in college. Berman has echoed that desire to play at the next level because of how much the sport means to him.

“I love basketball, and I love playing the game,” he said.

Berman is looking to be part of a third straight Class 7A state championship team at Mountain Brook. However, the Spartans were dealt a blow in late December, as starting point guard Paulie Stramaglia suffered a knee injury that will sideline him for the remainder of the season. 

Stramaglia won the Mr. Hustle Award at the City of Palms Classic, with McMillan suggesting there wasn’t a close second. McMillan’s hope is that each member of the team will attempt to provide a little more tenacity individually to help the Spartans through the tough transition period without its excellent, play-making floor general.

Mountain Brook will gear up for postseason play heading into February, with the Area 6 tournament set for the week of Feb. 4 and regional play set to begin the following week, should the Spartans advance.