Two Georgetown University men’s basketball team players, graduate guard Micah Peavy and first-year center Thomas Sorber, were named to Big East all-conference teams on Mar. 9, as determined by a poll of the conference’s coaches.
Peavy, who joined the team as a transfer this season after one year at Texas Tech and three years at Texas Christian University, was selected to the all-Big East first team. The only Georgetown starter not to miss a game due to injury this year, Peavy led the Hoyas’ defense and provided a significant amount of the team’s offensive production.
Peavy led the conference in steals, averaging 2.3 per game. That total also put him second among high-major players this year. Peavy averaged 16.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists, and had 14 games with 20 points or more. Peavy was named to the Big East weekly honor roll five times throughout the season on Dec. 2, Jan. 27, Feb. 10, Feb. 24 and Mar. 9.
In his best performance this year — the Hoyas’ blowout of Providence College Feb. 19 — Peavy played every minute, with a stat line of 30 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 6 steals. In February, Peavy took his play to another level — averaging 24.2 points and shooting 49.6% from the field.
Peavy is the first Hoya to be named to the all-Big East first team since center Jessie Govan during the 2018-19 season.
Peavy was also a contender for the defensive player of the year award, but the award went to center Ryan Kalkbrenner, who matched Patrick Ewing as the only two players to win the award four times.
In his media availability earlier this week, Peavy thanked the coaching staff and his teammates for putting him in position to succeed.
“Coming here, Coach Cooley said I was gonna be in position to get all-Big East first team,” Peavy said.” It’s not just me. It’s my teammates and my coaches putting me in the position to get those baskets, to play my defense.”
Peavy acknowledged that his intentionality on the other side of the ball also played a big role in his success.
“A big part was my confidence on offense. I think I expanded my game on all three levels,” Peavy added.
Peavy is a potential prospect for the National Basketball Association (NBA) draft after excelling with Georgetown this year, and could be selected in the second round or signed as an undrafted free agent, a view University of Connecticut (UConn) Head Coach Dan Hurley shared.
Sorber, one of college basketball’s breakout first-year stars this season, was named to the all-Big East third team and unanimously selected to the all-first-year team. The Freshman of the Year award, however, proved to be just outside his grasp, going to UConn forward Liam McNeeley. Out of Archbishop Ryan High School in Philadelphia, Sorber was a four-star recruit ranked #53 in the country by ESPN coming into this season.
Sorber averaged 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2 blocks and 1.3 steals per game. He was the most valuable defender in the conference and the third most valuable defender in the country, according to EvanMiya.com, an analytics website.
McNeeley and Sorber each missed time this season due to injuries and, when healthy, were named Freshman of the Week seven times. They also averaged similar points totals, but Sorber had better rebounding and playmaking stats. However, McNeeley’s UConn finished the season with a conference record of 14-6, compared to the Hoyas at 8-12.
A foot injury during the game against Butler Feb. 15 cut Sorber’s season short. Sorber has not played since and underwent season-ending surgery to treat the injury Feb. 26.
In the press conference after the Hoyas’ season-ending loss to DePaul in the Big East tournament, Coach Ed Cooley said Sorber outperformed McNeeley this year, and deserved more award recognition.
“At the bare minimum, he should’ve been the rookie of the year,” he said. “Shame on our coaches for not recognizing that.”
Sorber must now decide whether to return to college for another year or declare for the NBA draft, Sorber was considered a likely first-round prospect before his injury.
Cooley said the Hoyas would win the Big East with Sorber, who would be one of the best players in the country.
“I’m praying that my big boy comes back, because if he does this room will look blue and gray,” Cooley said, before punching the table for emphasis and walking out.
