First-year center Thomas Sorber sent ripples through the Georgetown University basketball community when he announced he would “test the waters” of the National Basketball Association (NBA) draft March 27. However, for now, he still has one foot planted on the Hilltop. 

Sorber finds himself in an enviable position — able to explore his draft options while maintaining his college eligibility — thanks to one of the best first-year performances in the country, despite coming to Georgetown as a four-star recruit. Sorber can put off a final decision on his future until May 28, the deadline to withdraw from the draft.

As speculation swirls about his decision, Sorber, who averaged 14.5 points and 8.5 rebounds, said he is looking for honest feedback from NBA teams, not just praise. 

“The good and bad about Thomas Sorber,” Sorber told The Hoya. “What I can work on, but just to know what I can do to become that next-level player.”

After a season-ending injury Feb. 15, speculation he may return for another year in order to increase his draft spot grew; however, Sorber said he is not chasing a certain number but prioritizing his environment and long-term satisfaction.

“I want to be on the team that I can fit on perfectly,” Sorber said. “And I wouldn’t say the number of the draft really matters. It’s really just the fit.”

Sorber, a Trenton, N.J., native who attended Archbishop Ryan High School in Philadelphia, Pa., doesn’t have a dream NBA team in mind. Yet, if he had to choose, he’d lean towards somewhere “close to home. Not that close. Somewhere near home. If you know, you know.”

Regardless of where he ends up, Sorber said he expects difficulties with the transition to the next level as part of the process. 

“Yes, it’s a challenge, but I’m going to have to get used to that challenge every single day, so it’s just going to have to turn into a lifestyle,” Sorber said. 

That mindset of embracing challenges as they come is something Sorber has carried with him throughout the season. However, the decision to take the leap to professional basketball is not a simple one. Sorber said how much Georgetown has come to mean to him has made his decision difficult.

“And coming back — I don’t ever have no problem coming back. I love Georgetown,” Sorber said. “That’s why it’s a hard decision for me to fully just go, rather than just come back. That’s why I’m taking my time, making sure what I really want.”

A perfect fit on an NBA team is hard to guarantee, but Sorber, who said he takes inspiration from the playmaking of Nikola Jokić and the defense of Bam Adebayo, has no doubts about his place with the Hoyas. 

Georgetown is more than the jersey he wears; it’s a place where Sorber said he felt embraced by the community from the moment he arrived.

“I was just proud to bring smiles to people’s faces,” Sorber said. “I really liked how everybody was cheering me on since the first day I stepped on the Georgetown court.”

More than hearing fans chant his name in Capital One Arena, Sorber added that playing was about proving something to himself. 

“Making the people proud — and for myself, making myself proud,” he continued. “Before this year, nobody didn’t really think I was going to be in the position that I’m at today. It’s just a blessing.”

Beyond an emotional connection, Sorber said he sees the potential in what the program is building and what it could become next season. He said next season’s incoming transfers excite him.

“We got a lot of dogs,” Sorber said. “It brought a smile to my face, hearing that they signed with Georgetown. It’s helping the Georgetown decision a bit more, but I wouldn’t say it’s the main part.”

While Sorber didn’t go into specifics about new transfers, which currently include players like University of Arizona guard KJ Lewis and University of Maryland guard DeShawn Harris-Smith, he said if he returns, he would have one ambition in mind. 

“My goal is to win as much as we can,” Sorber said. “Try and get Georgetown back on top.” 

With Sorber’s return, the Hoyas could contend for their first National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament appearance since 2021 — an important boost for a still-rebuilding program.

Whether Sorber’s basketball career continues in the NCAA or the NBA, he said his freshman season highlighted his ability to adjust and improve his game quickly. 

“I was getting bucked around for a couple games,” Sorber said, remembering the physicality of early season matchups. “But then towards the end, I wasn’t getting bucked around as much.”

“The conditioning is way different,” Sorber added. “The game is way faster. You got to think way quicker.”

Beyond basketball, Sorber says his first year helped him become more disciplined and comfortable with who he is, both on and off the court. 

“A lot of people would say ‘I’m goofy this, goofy that,’” Sorber said. “But, I learned how to love my own space. I can make an uncomfortable position into a comfortable position.”

Throughout his basketball career, Sorber has leaned on his family, especially his mom, who he said played a key role in his college choice and continues to be one of the people he trusts most as he weighs his future. 

“She was a big part of my decision why I came to Georgetown,” Sorber said. “And it’s crazy because my family been through so much and it’s just like, it felt like a relief, because of where I’m at today.”

When online speculation or criticism comes to the surface, Sorber said he relies on the same support system.

“I don’t let the outside noise affect me as a person,” Sorber said. “I just have a talk with my mom or my brother and they tell me just to keep pushing — just to keep fighting, ‘cause you a fighter.”

“Wake up with happiness — that’s why I get through,” Sorber added.

As he weighs his options, Sorber hasn’t set a strict deadline for himself, but envisions reaching a final decision in mid-May. Between now and then, he plans to continue listening to scouts, his family and himself.

“Hopefully, it’s somewhere that I feel comfortable and that I made the right decision, not having regrets,” Sorber said. 

And no matter where Sorber goes, Sorber said his mindset will follow him. 

“You’ll never see a frown on Thomas Sorber’s face, unless something’s going really bad,” Sorber said. “I’m just a genuine guy. On the court, I’m a beast.”

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article misstated the date to withdraw from the NBA draft and retain college eligibility. The NCAA’s deadline for a player to retain their eligibility is May 28. The NBA’s deadline is later, on June 15.