Auburn’s men’s basketball team had a single scholarship remaining at the start of the season.

As of Saturday night, however, that scholarship has been used up.

After the No. 16 Auburn Tigers topped LSU 93-78 to secure their ninth-straight double-digit win, head coach Bruce Pearl surprised senior walk-on Carter Sobera a scholarship, which made the Tigers’ locker room erupt and Sobera immediately cover his face with his hands in shock.

“We had a wonderful, wonderful announcement in our locker room tonight. Carter Sobera earned a scholarship,” Pearl said during his postgame press conference. “I’ve almost always —I think almost always —put 12 guys on scholarship, played 10 or 11. Just don’t like having guys on scholarship that aren’t playing.”

However in the case of Sobera, who has been a member of Auburn’s program and scout team since his freshman season in 2020-21, Pearl felt like making an exception.

“Earned!,” Pearl posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Sobera onboarded with the Tigers after playing his high school career at Mountain Brook High School in Birmingham. There, Sobera helped the Lions win a state championship during his junior season.

In his time on The Plains, Sobera has seen action in seven games.