He helped his team win the Summit League regular season and tournament championships last year as the league player of the year, and he faced his former team for the first time Friday in what ended up a 99-73 LSU win over Omaha.
He is Marquel Sutton, LSU’s star forward who came into this game on a double-double streak spanning the team’s last three games. The fifth-year senior is the first Tiger since 2016 to have three straight double-doubles.
The 6-foot-9 star is averaging 14.4 points and 9.4 rebounds through five games, and he’s performing like one of the best forwards in his new conference.
“He lives in the gym,” head coach Matt McMahon said. “He only knows one speed on the floor. He plays hard, he’s a warrior.”
At Omaha, he scored 1,388 points in 99 games, all of which he started. The Tulsa, Oklahoma, native averaged 18.9 points and 7.9 rebounds a game last year as a Maverick.
“We love the addition of Marquel Sutton to our program,” McMahon said after Sutton’s commitment back in April. “He is a high energy, versatile forward who plays with relentless effort on the court.”
Sutton received his Summit League championship rings before the game. They were presented by his former head coach, Chris Crutchfield.
With the conference tournament championship, Sutton helped lead Omaha to the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever. That trip to March Madness ended in the first round, where they lost to St. John’s 83-53. Sutton scored 11 in that loss.
Friday’s game was the first time that Sutton didn’t have double digits in any category. He recorded nine points and eight rebounds, which is still nothing to scoff at.
Sutton has made his worth in gold through his strong rebounds and ability to box out defenders. He recorded 638 rebounds in his tenure as a Maverick, but he’s significantly upped his game in purple and gold.
“That’s just me, that’s who I am,” Sutton said about his strong motor for boards. “Whatever I need to do for the team to win, that’s what I’m gonna do.”
When he was brought to LSU, McMahon said that they planned on moving him more to the wing.
Against his former team, Sutton only made one of six 3-point attempts, adding up to a significantly off day. Despite this, he did make his other two field goal attempts and both free throw shots. The fifth-year only had one turnover in 30 minutes on the court as well.
Sutton continues to impress the LSU team and fanbase with his special play.
His all-around effort looks to bring the team to heights unseen in the McMahon era. If he was able to help lead Omaha to the big dance, he should be able to do the same with LSU.
