When Thomas Sorber chose to play college basketball at Georgetown on Villanova, Providence and Miami, he did it in part to follow in the footsteps of all the Hoyas’ big men.

“Everyone was telling me what a historic college Georgetown was for big guys, so I took that into consideration,” Sorber, 6-foot-10, 252 pounds, told NJ Advance Media Friday by phone. “You know, I see the great greats of the past – Pat EwingRoy Hibbert, Alonzo MourningGreg Monroe, Dikembé (Mutombo).

“So I just looked at those greats from the past and wondered, maybe I could be (like) one of those greats from the past, and Coach (Ed) Cooley is helping me get to that point.”

Sorber, born in Trenton, New Jersey, will return to his home state Sunday when the Hoyas (9-2, 1-0 Big East) visit. Seton Hall (5-7, 0-1) at the Prudential Center.

He expects his mother, Tenneh, who fled Liberia during the civil war to seek a better life for her family in the United States, and about a dozen family members and friends to be in the building.

A number of NBA scouts are also expected for Sorber, who is averaging 14.8 points and eight rebounds and figures to contend with UConn’s. Liam McNeeleyanother NBA prospect, for Big East Rookie of the Year honors. But while he continues to impress, a major question is whether he’ll stay at Georgetown long enough to become their next big man — or whether he’ll head to the pros before he gets a chance to flourish fully.

Cooley, whose team just beat Creighton by 24 points on Wednesday, said Sorber is “definitely someone who’s on the radar” of NBA teams. He added: “A lot of them think he’s a multi-year guy, but who knows? You know, all you need is someone. It only takes one person to say “yes” to get married.

Money launderers report has Sorber ranked 20th in next year’s draft, while ESPN doesn’t count him among his top 100 prospects.

An NBA scout who has seen Sorber and hopes to see more of him told NJ Advance Media, “(He’s a) bad man. (There are) not many post players with vision and shooting like him.

Sorber grew up in Trenton and attended the Trenton Catholic Church until ninth grade before transferring to Archbishop Ryan in Philadelphia.

During his senior season, he was ranked as the No. 50 overall prospect in the Class of 2024 and the No. 3 prospect in Pennsylvania in 247Sports.comThe composite ranking of. As a senior, Sorber averaged a double-double of 18.9 points and 11.2 rebounds.

Georgetown assistant Jeff Battle was the lead recruiter and brought Cooley to watch him play with Team Final on the Nike EYBL circuit.

“He definitely made an impression on me,” Cooley recalled. “He has incredible hands, his basketball IQ is off the charts. His recall is extraordinary. He is a very, very special player. I think he is one of the best freshmen in the country who can make an impact on winning.

It was the connection with Cooley — as well as the allure of trying to become Georgetown’s next big man — that sealed the deal for Sorber.

“I didn’t have any other relationships with other coaches like the one I had with Coach Cooley,” Sorber said. “On my first visit, it made me feel like I was at home. He wanted me to be here. He wanted me to be like a star player on his team, like he wanted me to help him run his offense.

Sorber said he had never heard of Rutgershis state university, during the recruitment process and that Seton Hall I got involved late. Seton Hall assistant Corey Lowery is the former head coach at Division 3 Lincoln (Pa.) University, where Peter Sorber, Thomas’ older brother, currently averages 9.5 points, 6 .2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks.

“I will say I was a little hurt to not get any calls from my hometown state,” Sorber said.

Their loss was Georgetown’s gain.

He impressed with all facets of his game, scoring, rebounding, passing, defending. Sorber scored 20-plus points three times and had 16 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks in last Saturday’s 75-71 victory at Syracuse, Georgetown’s first at the Dome since 2016.

Against Creighton big man Ryan Kalkbrenner, Sorber managed just eight points but contributed six rebounds, three assists and three blocks.

“I thought he played one of his best games of his career the other day against Creighton, and he didn’t score much, but what he did had an impact on the win,” Cooley said. “I mean, he faced a 24-year-old preseason All-American. … It was pretty impressive for his first game in the Big East. Come on, man.

Cooley believes Sorber will only get better as he gets used to the rugged style of the Big East.

“He can impact the game in so many different ways: scoring, passing, screening, physical energy,” Cooley said. “He is one of the best energy givers I have ever been around. He has an infectious smile and personality, but he is tough.

“We knew he would be a good player. Right now we see someone who has the opportunity to become a great player.

But how long will he stay at Georgetown? It’s possible he won’t leave until he’s a projected lottery pick, meaning he could wait a year or two. because the 2025 Draft is particularly busy.

“It makes me feel good because everyone sees the potential in me and stuff like that,” Sorber said. “So that gives me a little bit of joy in myself.”

“(But) I continue to keep my head down. Just keep working.

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Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter who covers Seton Hall and NJ college basketball for NJ Advance Media. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria and check out his website at ZAGSBLOG.com.