How Archbishop Ryan’s Thomas Sorber became the center of attention for college basketball coaches

Archbishop Ryan junior Thomas Sorber doesn’t recall seeing a ladder or step stool in his family’s home growing up in Trenton.

Changing lightbulbs or reaching into cabinets wasn’t an issue for this family. The air up there was rarely unfamiliar.

“Anything my mom needed,” Sorber said with a smile, “she could just ask me or my brother.”

By eighth grade, Sorber, now a 6-foot-10 center and among the nation’s most sought-after basketball recruits, was already 6-5.

Back then, his older brother, Peter, now a 6-9 wing at Lincoln University, was still the tallest. Their older sister Regina, who is 6-3 and went to Alabama A&M, had towered over them both for years.

Last year, however, there was a change at the top. And it didn’t go unnoticed.

“It was surprising,” Peter said in a phone interview. “I didn’t want to own up to it at first. I was like, ‘Nah, this guy ain’t taller than me yet.’ Then he would walk up on me and try to stare me down. I’m like, ‘bro, if you keep doing that I’m going to punch you in the stomach. Leave me alone. Stay back.’ It’s weird to have somebody in your household that’s taller than you now when you’ve always been the tallest person in your family.”

On the court, however, it’s not just Sorber’s height that has college coaches clamoring. His skill level, footwork, and instincts coupled with a body that might not be finished growing are what makes him a recruiting gem.

“They all think he can make a big transformation in his body,” said Nate Hodge, Sorber’s AAU coach at Team Final. “And if you combine his size, his skill set, and his feel for the game, and then he gets into the best shape he’s ever been, you might have something really special.”

Tenneh Sorber always knew there was something about her youngest child. He was, after all, born on Christmas Day.

“Thomas is a special child,” she said after Ryan outlasted St. Frances (Md.) last week. “He’s my Messiah, my Jesus, my everything.”

She had come to the U.S. in 1998 while her native Liberia was embroiled in civil war.

When Thomas was 5 years old, Tenneh would drop her two boys at a basketball gym in the Northeast not far from Ryan.

“Summertime, I used to bring him over to play with the bigger guys and his brother, and he used to cry,” she said with a chuckle. “But now, for the work he’s put in, he’s getting results.”

These days, the only tears shed might be from college coaches who miss out on the nimble and ultra-skilled 16-year-old.

Last week, Miami offered him a scholarship. Virginia offered in November. Offers from Seton Hall and St. John’s came in October. Penn State and Syracuse both offered in August. Others are sure to follow.

“They all love his feel for the game,” said Hodge, now in his eighth season with Team Final. “That’s the thing that sticks out the most, his skill and his feel for the game.”

Earlier this month against visiting Patrick School [N.J.], Sorber drilled a game-winning three-pointer just before time expired. He finished with 27 points, 17 rebounds, and eight blocked shots.

Last week, he scored 24 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, blocked six shots, and added three assists in Ryan’s 77-69 win against visiting St. Frances Academy.

Sorber, who transferred to Ryan from Trenton Catholic last year, credits his coordination and footwork to playing soccer as a child.

His father, Peter Sr., who died in 2013 from colon cancer, was a talented, 6-5 soccer player. He was also well known in Trenton’s African community for helping others improve their lives, his son said, especially those seeking life after incarceration.

Sorber’s early basketball acumen, he said, came from watching YouTube videos of former NBA star Dwyane Wade. As he grew, though, he patterned his game after big men such as Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic.

“Most kids think that big men are just people who stand under the rim and get rebounds,” Sorber said, “but knowing you can step outside and shoot a three, bring the ball up like Jokic or Embiid, it’s not just, ‘Oh, you’re just supposed to be [under the basket].’ You can be anywhere on the court.”

Peter Sorber knew his younger brother would be good when he grew and started losing weight.

Peter, 21, graduated from Trenton Catholic High School in 2019. He first attended Morgan State, where he played as a freshman and sophomore.

“Every time I came home it felt like he grew another two or three inches,” Peter said. “When he grew, the baby fat went away. Thomas used to be big; he used to be really big.”

A rigorous training regimen with Team Final, which was also Peter’s AAU team, helped Sorber shed pounds. Advice from his brother and sister helped hone his skills.

“We critique every game even when we’re not at the games,” said Regina, 34. “Whatever suggestions we make, he takes heed to them.”

Regina, who played basketball at Trenton High, where she graduated in 2005, was at Ryan’s home win against St. Frances.

When her “little” brother temporarily went down after stepping on an opponent’s foot, she visited him along the baseline as trainers checked him out.

“He’s the baby,” she said, laughing. “I’m the oldest. I was always the tall one and now my little brothers being taller than me is insane.”

Mostly, the sibling’s critiques are about the weight room, shedding pounds, and dedicating himself fully, which he has, both said.

Peter adds lessons about being double teamed: when they will come, how to deal with them, and how not to let them cause frustration.

“I’m just so happy for him,” Peter said. “I just want to see him make it all the way.”

Later, he added: “I’m glad that he got the height. It’s just better for him. People in the NBA are looking for big men that can do it all. He can be like a shorter version of Jokic.”

That’s if Sorber has finished sprouting, which Hodge suspects he hasn’t.

“He might grow another inch or two,” said Hodge, who thinks passing ability is among Sorber’s best attributes. “He doesn’t look like he’s done. You look at his face and he still kind of has the baby face.”

Just don’t let the smooth face fool you. Sorber also has some feistiness in his game. He doesn’t shy from contact, likes to get the crowd involved, and might interact with officials a time or two.

Off the court, though, Ryan coach Joe Zeglinski said Sorber’s teammates and the school at large took to him quickly.

“Really respectful kid,” Zeglinski said. “He’s the kind of kid you love to coach because you can coach him hard. It starts with how unselfish he is and how his teammates love to play with him. Even the whole school. They love the kid because of the way he is off the court.”

Away from the game, he’s also still his mother’s “baby.” Tenneh said she told all of her children that she would pay for high school, but college was up to them.

“I was very honest with them,” she said. “I’m the only parent. Their father passed away. I told them I can’t do everything. I will try my best.”

Asked how it felt to raise three kids who will have all gone to college, Tenneh gave the credit to God. Her youngest son wasn’t quite sure how to put his appreciation for his mother into words. Sorber did, however, say she is his motivation.

Peter Sorber also directed credit toward the heavens but made an important pitstop along the way.

“[Our mom] was going to nursing school and working a job at the same time when my dad passed,” Peter said. “That was hard for her. So we all used that as motivation to keep going and take basketball seriously. So we give the glory to God because we wouldn’t even be here if God didn’t make her so strong.”