Why On3 is higher than the industry on Georgetown signee Thomas Sorber

Georgetown signee Thomas Sorber is a unique prospect, by today’s standards. He is a throwback of sorts, a low-block, back-to-the-basket big man with a true low-post game. With that, here at On3, we are higher than the industry on the 6-foot-10 center from Philadelphia (PA) Archbishop Ryan ranking him the No. 29 overall player in the updated 2024 On3 150. 

On3 leaves nothing to question when we talk about the objective of our rankings. The goal is to assess a prospect’s long-term potential, ultimately manifested by the NBA Draft. Our ranking is not to assess who had the best high school career or who will be the best college player. This is why we shoot to end each cycle with 14 five-star prospects, following the lead of the NBA Draft Lottery. This can be different from others, but our vision with rankings is draft night. 

On3 has Sorber ranked No. 29. He is ranked No. 42 to 247 and No. 54 by both ESPN and Rivals. Sorber is No. 41 in the 2024 On3 Industry Ranking. Criteria are different across the industry when it comes to players and the order they are ranked. So let’s break down why On3 is higher on Thomas Sorber than the industry.

Sorber Dominates His Area

Thomas Sorber has reshaped his body since the summer, dropping from just over 250 pounds to playing his senior year at 238 pounds. At 6-foot-10 with some of the most passer-friendly hands in high school basketball, Sorber has found his way into a lot of production this year in the Philadelphia Catholic League. 

Sorber carries a sturdy frame, with broad shoulders, and a strong base. He can carve out and establish position on the block and not get moved off his spot. He sets a big target and can move with the defender and keep him sealed. 

Sorber has long arms and huge hands, that help him play bigger than his listed 6-foot-10 height, but also keep handle of everything that is within his grasp. He is not only a good area rebounder, he is an instinctive defender, able to protect the paint and the rim. I’ll touch on that a little more later.

Sorber is an efficient player on the offensive end of the floor. I alluded to earlier his ability to establish position on the block, He is very comfortable with his back to the basket, showing go-to moves over his left and right shoulder with a few counters if needed. He has soft hands and natural touch as well as good lift around the basket, able to dunk through contact in traffic. 

Sorber’s touch has evolved and he is becoming more consistent from behind the arc. This high school season, Sorber has taken 1.2 three attempts per game and knocked down 30.4 percent of them. While he is not a dynamic three-point shooter, he is becoming more comfortable as a trail big and in pick-and-pop situations. Continuing to extend his range will be big for his long-term outlook. 

Once Sorber gets the ball on the block he does a good job of creating angles with his footwork and using his lower body and shoulders to get defenders off balance and finding open space. He creates an advantage, on both blocks, with the ball in his hands. Throughout Nike’s EYBL Circuit, Sorber shot 54.9 percent from the field. He played for the No. 1 ranked Team Final team, and showed that he was guarded one-on-one, not many players in high school were able to slow him down. 

This high school season, Sorber has continued to dominate his area. He is getting 11.1 shots per game and knocking them down at a 62.6 percent clip. Sorber is also going to the free-throw line 6.3 times per game. And he is knocking down 75.2 percent of his attempts. 

Sorber is comfortable on the low block, and he makes his presence known. 

On the defensive side of the ball

Defense is where some questions will arise with Thomas Sorber, mostly asking the question of how well he moves. He has established himself as an effective rim protector. A lot of that has to do with his size and long arms. But he understands positioning and has natural timing. Sorber averaged 1.96 blocks per game during his 23 Nike EYBL games. 

With his lost weight and re-proportioned body Sorber is moving around the floor better. Many times when a big guy loses weight, they need time to get used to how to move around with their newly shaped body. Sorber’s dexterity has actually improved. This season, with Archbishop Ryan, he is averaging 5.3 blocks and 1.3 steals per contest. 

While Sorber will never be a glider, he has big feet and a strong base, he is moving more naturally. Learning how to play in drop coverage will be big for him. As well as continuing to learn angles and footwork on the defensive end. He is not a stiff, so while it can be a bit clunky at times, he has some fluidity.

Along with the defensive side of the ball and the instincts around the rim, Sorber is a very good rebounder. He understands positioning and uses his long arms and big hands to high-point rebounds in traffic and quickly get an outlet to his teammate. 

Sorber’s 8.0 rebounds per game finished fifth among full-time players on Nike’s EYBL E17 Circuit in the regular season. He grabbed those boards in 19.7 minutes per game. He has upped his rebounding during the high school season to 11.5 per game. 

While Sorber is not the most fleet of foot, he is nevertheless productive on the defensive end of the floor and the boards.

Looking ahead for Thomas Sorber

Thomas Sorber has a projectable frame with broad shoulders and excellent length. Over the past eight months, he has already done wonders to reshape his body. Getting into a college strength, conditioning, and nutrition program should continue to help in this area. 

Sorber should be an impactful college player, and possibly sooner rather than later. He will be a factor on the low block and should be able to collect rebounds throughout his career. 

While today’s game is all about spacing and shooting. In today’s fast-flowing, fluid offensive systems, throwing the ball down on the block and letting a big man go to work, can stagnate an offense.

A look at the numbers, however, will tell you that if you are good at posting up, there could be a place for you at the highest levels of basketball. Two-time reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic posts up a league-high 26.4 percent of his offensive possessions. Jokic and Joel Embiid currently lead the league with 7.1 points per game from post-ups. 

While the game has spread out and shooting and spacing are important, there is still a place in today’s game for players on the block. However, that is not what keeps a lot of low-post players out of the league. It is the defensive side of the ball. With most of the NBA playing with spacing, teams have to have guys who can guard the perimeter and switchable bigs who protect the rim. This is where a lot of the players who score from the low block have trouble.

I say all of that, not to say that Sorber is a sure-fire NBA player. Like most high school players, he has a lot of work still to go. But, there is a pathway for him if things break right and he continues developing. 

Sorber is going to have to expand the shooting range and become a threat from beyond the arc. Being able to line up and create advantage from different areas of the floor, within 15 to 18 feet of the basket will be some development as well. But most importantly, he will need to show that he can move his feet and guard in space.

While the college outlook is very bright with Sorber, there is an NBA pathway there. Showing that he has already reshaped his body over the last eight months has him looking more the part. His physical presence and ability to dominate at his level around the rim have him in On3’s top 30.