Ron Bailey, Seton Hall Recruiting, Syracuse Recruiting, Villanova Recruiting

MAURICE SUTTON MULLING OFFERS

Ron Bailey, Publisher of i95Ballerz.com, checked in with Maurice Sutton this past weekend while covering the Capital Classic at the Comcast Center on the campus of the University of Maryland.

Sutton is a major spring target of several major Division 1-A school program,s looking to add front court depth in the spring signing period.  Among his final five college choices, three of the schools are in the Big East.  Sutton has also recently seen a new Big East team enter the picture after they lost one of their top young players to the NBA Draft in the recent weeks.

Ron takes a look at Sutton’s recruitment and game as he has a couple visits on the immediate horizon…

By Ron Bailey

Sutton Mulling Offers

April 17, 2008 – Maurice Sutton, the 6’11”, 210 pound forward/center from Largo High School (MD) has quite a busy backstretch to his high school career. He like other soon to be graduates, are of course dealing with the bittersweet notion of leaving high school for a larger, less stable world, as well as facing common worries like prom considerations and just enjoying the company of those he may rarely see again.

But Sutton has more on his plate. A lot more, in mainly deciding which high major institution to choose. Though many young people are also tasked with determining their next educational home, Maurice’s situation is magnified, given his standing as one of the better unsigned high school big man with tremendous upside in America.

“Boston College, Kentucky, Syracuse, Villanova, and Seton Hall” are the schools that hold the most interest for him, shared Sutton before playing in the Capital Classic, an invitation-only national level high school senior all-star game in the Washington, D.C. area, which boasts an impressive alumni list. In this, the 35th edition of ‘The Cap’ as it’s locally known, Sutton finished with four points and four rebounds in nine minutes of play; Maurice’s team, the Capital All-Stars struggled in a 123-85 defeat.

It would be folly to judge his ability on an all-star game, a fact known to recruiters, who surely are aware of Sutton’s impressive 18 points, 12 rebound, nine block averages this year at Largo, contributions that factored heavily in the school’s 3A state championship.

When asked to define his game, Sutton accurately relayed his strengths as “defense, finishing around the rim, blocking shots, and hitting the 10-15 foot shot”, along with “strength and dribbling” as points of necessary improvement. Sustained intensity could be added to that list.

Regarding his college choice, BC, Kentucky and Seton Hall have all offered, with Syracuse and Villanova coming on strong. “I’ll decide after I take my visits” was the timetable Maurice provided for the decision.

Boston College was visited approximately two weeks ago, an experience he dubbed “nice” and left him musing “I didn’t know it was that beautiful in Boston”. Kentucky is on tap this weekend. While in the Blue Grass State, Sutton will compete in the Derby Classic, held at Louisville University’s Freedom Hall. The following weekend will see Maurice travel to Seton Hall.

Sutton views the Big East favorably: “I like the Big East. I always wanted to stay on the East Coast or at least close to it. It’s of the best, if not the best conference in the NCAA”.

The Sutton family, which lives in a subdivision known as Kettering in Upper Marlboro, MD, has to rank with the Branch clan (producers of a slew of players, including 1980’s era University of Maryland standout and Los Angeles Laker pro Adrian Branch), in terms of that area’s hoops families; Maurice’s sister, Candace, starred at both Largo (USA Today’s Maryland Player of the Year and the University of North Carolina (finished second in career blocks at the school before graduating in 2004).

With such an accomplished sibling, of course Maurice has experienced the ribbing he’s not as good as his sister. “I’ve heard that plenty of times” laughed Sutton, taking that talk in stride. “But I have to find my own way”.

That he’s doing. Quite well. After a year or so of becoming stronger and competing at the Division I collegiate level, there may be little doubt the comparisons will cease.

Pic…Sutton (31) possesses height and athletic ability (click on picture for larger view).

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