
Dave Preston is an AP Top 25 voter. Read his latest ballot here.
It’s a shame Maryland and Georgetown didn’t play each other this season, and not just because the area’s two biggest programs have met far too sparingly over the years, but because this winter, each school boasts a freshman big man worth watching.
Even in 2025, when 3-point shooting is more than simply sizzle (it has become the steak this century), it’s still nice to have quality play in the post. Maryland (13-5, 3-4 Big Ten) and Georgetown (12-5, 3-3 Big East) are both bouncing back from subpar seasons, thanks to the addition of a freshman force inside.
Georgetown’s Thomas Sorber has taken Big East Freshman of the Week four times this season, and currently leads the conference in rebounding (8.6 boards per game) while ranking second in blocked shots (2.5 per game) and third in shooting percentage (53.9%). The Trenton, New Jersey, native is one of the reasons why head coach Ed Cooley’s team has already surpassed last year’s total for Big East and overall wins in mid-January.
Meanwhile, Maryland’s close to equaling last winter’s win total thanks to Derik Queen, who has captured a pair of Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors while averaging 15.8 points (14th in the Big Ten) and 8.1 rebounds (tied for seventh) per game while shooting 56% from the field.
But a freshman’s growth as a player is far from linear, and the early days of conference play both first-year players have experienced growing pains in their progress. Sorber, in Georgetown’s current three-game losing streak, has been held to a total of 25 points on 8 of 18 shooting.
“Thomas has to learn he’s going to be at the top of a lot of scouting reports,” Cooley said after the loss to UConn. “They’re going to get everybody’s best game. When you’re a prospect like that, nothing’s going to be easy. And then the physicality. Don’t forget, Thomas just turned 19 years old. He’s got some adults in there holding, grabbing, pushing.”
Sorber and the Hoyas have a chance to get right Friday night when they host lowly DePaul.
Further proof that progress is not always a straight line, Queen’s January has seen the freshman score four, 17, eight, 27 and nine points. But, with each tough lesson at the hands of a conference foe, Queen has come back stronger.
“What’s been most impressive is that he’s handled the downs just as well as he’s handled the ups. So when he’s had a bad game he’s acknowledged it and he’s come back and he’s worked at it and come back and been aggressive and played well,” Maryland head coach Kevin Willard said.
“When you come off a bad game as a freshman there’s times where you let it affect you and you can have bad stretches,” Willard said. “He’s had some bad games where it has not affected him. Where’s he’s able to come back and bounce back.”
Queen’s next opportunity to bounce back comes at noon on Sunday when the Terps host Nebraska.
For those new this year on the Beltway Basketball Beat, we have a weekly “Starting Five”:
Up Top: Auburn takes over the top spot in the AP Top 25 after Tennessee’s loss to Florida, and the Tigers are No. 1 on my ballot as well. Four of the top six schools in this week’s rankings hail from the SEC, while a total of nine schools from that conference are ranked this week (two more received votes). The Big Ten is next with six teams, while the Big 12 has four representatives in this week’s Top 25.
Going Inside: Howard (8-10, 3-0 MEAC) had a roller-coaster week which began with a 90-75 thumping of Coppin State Monday night. Freshman Blake Harper led the way with 25 points and 12 rebounds, making it the D.C. native’s third double-double of the season. While Wednesday’s 76-73 loss to Bowie State was out of conference, the Bulldogs are a Division II team. And even though they’re currently in first place of the conference, the Bison have yet to face heavyweights Norfolk State and South Carolina State.
On the Perimeter: It has been a rough winter for the ACC’s Commonwealth couple. While Virginia (8-9, 1-5 ACC) has found the post-Tony Bennett world a difficult one to navigate, Virginia Tech (8-9, 3-3) is still recovering from a six-game losing streak that straddled the Thanksgiving holiday.
Wednesday, the Hokies rallied from 15 points down to beat NC State 79-76, with Tobi Lawal’s 22 points and 11 rebounds giving coach Mike Young a little midseason momentum.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers remain offensively challenged, making 4 of 26 from 3-point range in their 54-52 loss to SMU and closer to the precipice of missing the ACC Tournament (only the top 15 of the 18-team conference advance to Charlotte).
The two schools hold their regular season series on a pair of Saturdays in February. The first will take place in Charlottesville on Feb. 1, while the rematch in Blacksburg will be on Feb. 15.
Who’s Open: The CAA has made D.C.’s Entertainment and Sports Arena its March home as of late, playing their postseason tournament there in 2020, as well as 2022-24. The league that once had George Mason, Richmond, VCU and James Madison still has a school within driving distance, and it’s William & Mary (11-7, 5-0) that’s off to an early lead in conference play.
The Tribe are one of three original Divisional I schools in 1948 that has yet to make the NCAA Tournament (Army and the Citadel are the others). We don’t want to jinx them, but this might be their best chance since they were regular season champs ten years ago and fell in the finals to Delaware.
Last Shot: Saturday afternoon, George Mason (13-5, 4-1 Atlantic 10) meets George Washington (13-4, 2-2) in Fairfax, Virginia. The Patriots are doing it with defense, allowing the fewest points per game in the A-10 while leading the conference in rebounding margin.
The Revolutionaries may rank second in the conference in scoring, but they’re also scrappy (second-most opponents turnovers in the Atlantic 10). The two schools split last season’s series with each school winning on its home floor.
I’ll see you courtside.
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