OXFORD — There were just a scant few seconds remaining on the shot clock.

Ole Miss, down eight to Arkansas in the second half of the second round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament last week in Nashville, was laboring through a broken offensive possession.

Eduardo Klafke found himself with the basketball at the top of the key, several feet beyond the 3-point line.

For reference, Klafke, a freshman from Brazil, had taken just six shots since Jan. 25. He had not made a shot from the floor since Jan. 18.

Against the Razorbacks, with the Rebels’ stay in Nashville beginning to look tenuous, Klafke not only took the shot but drained it, a key moment in what eventually became an 83-80 victory.

“It was a big shot for me because I don’t have the same amount of shots as the other guys take,” Klafke said Monday, a day after Ole Miss earned a No. 6 seed in the South Regional of the NCAA Tournament. “So it means a lot for me because even though I’m not taking these shots in the game, each and every day I’m here and I’m putting the work in and I’m working on my craft. For me to take that job in a big moment in the game, it means a lot to me.”

Klafke, a 6-foot-5, 195-pounder from San Paolo, is averaging just 1.5 points and one rebound per game. Still, he’s remained a rotation piece for the Rebels, defending on the perimeter and facilitating offense as a ball-mover.

“My role is really simple,” Klafke said. “It’s to make the right plays and help my team win. I just play my ass off each and every day.”

Klafke is shooting 45.7 percent from the floor and 50 percent from the floor, but he’s hardly a volume shooter. That’s not due to a lack of confidence.

“It’s just about knowing when to be aggressive and when to move the ball,” Klafke said. “I know my role. I’m a ball-mover, but when I’m wide open, I know I’m going to hit the shot. I’m getting confident every day and whenever I’m open, I shoot the ball.”

Klafke has certainly earned his coach’s trust. Ole Miss coach Chris Beard, who will lead the Rebels against either North Carolina or San Diego State Friday at 3:05 p.m. CDT in Milwaukee, said the freshman has “a great career ahead of him.”

“I’m really proud and excited to coach him in the NCAA Tournament,” Beard said. “He’s brought great value to our team. It doesn’t take the smartest guy in the room to understand where his career could go one day but he has a real role on this year’s team. We need him to play well in Milwaukee. He’s a valuable part of what we’re doing.”

Beard acknowledged Klafke’s shot against Arkansas was a huge moment in that game, allowing the Rebels to advance to Friday’s quarterfinals against Auburn and likely locking up a No. 6 seed in the process. However, Beard said that was far from the only big play Klafke has had this season.

“Klafke’s basically impacted every win we’ve had,” Beard said. “He’s been a crowd favorite from Day One because of how hard he plays. He’s got a chance to the face of the program moving forward. I’m just really proud of him.”