Sutton to get his chance

Dominique Sutton walked away from the SJG Greater NC Pro-Am as co-MVP of the summer basketball league with former North Carolina star Rasheed Wallace. Along with that recognition, he earned a reputation for exuberant defense and high-rising dunks.

After a few games, everyone who had come out to N.C. Central's McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium to watch summer-league games knew about the Durham school's 6-foot-5 transfer who battled Tar Heels sophomore Harrison Barnes and NBA pros.

"I've put that to the side," Sutton said. "That's summer league. It's not structured. It's just going out having fun, competing and giving the crowd something to cheer about."

Sutton's more concerned about the start of his final collegiate season. There's much more at stake tonight for the senior forward when the Eagles travel to Halton Arena to face Charlotte in the team's season-opener.

"Now it's different," he said. "Now it's about leading a team. Can I win? Can I take a team like Central to the (NCAA) tournament? It's a lot of different 'ifs' in there."

Sutton transferred to N.C. Central in 2010 but had to sit out a season because of NCAA rules after leaving Kansas State. He played three seasons there, serving as a role player known for rebounding, defensive prowess and athleticism.

Sutton was raised in Durham and returned home for an opportunity to shake that role player moniker.

"It was a business move," he said.

It's a chance for Sutton to play before a home crowd - including his grandmother, mother and daughters - as he did while attending Durham Jordan as a junior in high school. He transferred from there to The Patterson School before going off to college.

At Kansas State, he started in 36 games as a junior, averaging 7.2 points and 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game. The Wildcats reached the NCAA West Regional Final that season, and Sutton played - in six-minute stretches - in 78 consecutive games during his time at Kansas State.

Sutton brings that experience to an N.C. Central team entering its first official season of NCAA Division I basketball and its third season under coach LeVelle Moton. The Eagles play a full Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference schedule for the first time and are eligible now to play in the postseason.

"We've made strides," said Moton, whose team jumped from a 7-22 record in 2009 to 15-15 last season, finishing 10-5 against conference opponents.

The Eagles expect more this season. Moton has appointed Sutton the team's leader, saying their progress will mirror his standout forward's development throughout the season.

Moton called Sutton the nation's "best athlete" and said there haven't been many players at the school with his ability - including the coach who starred at the school from 1992 to 1996.

"He's in a category of his own," Moton said. "He has physical gifts the good Lord didn't give everyone else."

Sutton plays the game with a nonstop physicality, hustling for rebounds and chasing down steals like a safety on a football field.