Local basketball star projected to be first-round pick in NBA Draft

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Last year at this time, Thomas Sorber was graduating from Archbishop Ryan High School.

This week, he's projected to be a first-round pick in the NBA Draft.

"It's going to be a little emotional night for me and my family," Sorber said. "We know we got to this point, and I'm just going to have to keep on working hard."

Sorber will hear his name called on Wednesday night. But first, he had an important stop to make back at his old stomping grounds.

He spent the morning at Archbishop Ryan High School talking with the kids attending basketball camp, signing autographs, and taking photos.

"I just love it here," Sorber gushed. "It's like a second home for me."

Sorber transferred to Ryan in his sophomore year and played for head basketball coach Joe Zeglinski. The two share a special bond.

"It's a kid you want to look up to," Zeglinski reflected. "He just wanted to get better every day and uplift his teammates every day."

Just as Sorber was at basketball camp to support his coach, Zeglinski will be in the green room on draft night supporting him.

"It's a special moment. We're trying to soak it all in," Zeglinski said.

Sorber credits Zeglinski for giving him a chance long before the NBA came knocking.

"I feel like I'm more at peace with coach Joe," he explained. "Him being my coach is a blessing for me."

Sorber will become the first first-round NBA Draft pick in Archbishop Ryan history.

Furthermore, a player from the Philadelphia Catholic League hasn't been picked in the first round since Kyle Lowry was selected in 2006.

"It's hard to measure how much it means," Zeglinski said. "I think he's just getting started with his potential and how great he's going to be. He deserves it - deserves all the credit."

The school will host a Draft Watch Party on Wednesday night in Bensalem, gathering the community as their hometown hero makes his dreams come true.

"It's crazy, but at the end of the day, I'm just looking to hear my name called," Sorber says.

The NBA Draft begins on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. Watch coverage on 6abc.