Illinois Basketball Offers Versatile 2024 Wing

Originally posted on Armchair Illini | By Alex Kyi | Last updated 5/24/23

Illinois Basketball Offers Versatile 2024 Wing

On May 21st, Illinois Basketball offered Darrion Sutton, a 6 foot 9 wing out of St. Louis. Sutton has had quite the eventful week, as he has picked up offers from Virginia Tech, Cincinnati, Michigan, Missouri and Penn State. Sutton is a 3-star prospect and the number 34 ranked small forward according to 247. The versatile forward is starting to peak at the right time. The AAU circuit will be in full swing this summer, and Sutton is expected to participate in the NBPA top 100 camp.

Chest Frazier offered Sutton and discussed the offer with 247’s Brandon Jenkins: “My relationship with Chester Frazier is what stands out because he is a good dude. His wife is from St. Louis so he comes down here a lot and he understands me. He loves to be in the gym and wants to see me get better.”

The Player:

Per his film, Sutton is a long, lanky athlete. He may not be a true stretch-four, however he has shown the versatility to pop a jumper. Sutton is a lefty that seems to pride himself on crashing the glass. As seen in his highlight tapes below, he is often seen grabbing offensive rebounds and going up strong to finish for contested layups. This past weekend, Sutton put up 30 pts, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, & 3 blks against DC Premier. Afterwards, he had 19 pts, 14 rebs, 5 asts, & 3 blks in another game.

‘24 Darrion Sutton displayed his extremely high potential all weekend at southern jam @darrion1k @YnRbball pic.twitter.com/EstelrfCOV

— Hoop Group (@TheHoopGroup) May 21, 2023

Illinois has prioritized skill while recruiting big men. Amani Hansberry, Dain Dainja and Morez Johnson are all big men who can rebound, but also step on the perimeter and hold their own. Sutton also has a lankier frame where Adam Fletcher can be a huge selling point.

The Recruitment:

This will be a tough recruitment to win. Illinois has not really gone into the St. Louis area ever since Mark Smith left the team. EJ Liddell was a huge priority, however he chose to look elsewhere. Chester Frazier and Tim Anderson will be competing against some big time schools. Illinois can sell Coleman Hawkins to Sutton. Hawkins was a similarly ranked prospect who came in a bit slender. Hawkins is now a sure-fire second round NBA draft pick who could also come back to school and be one of the better players in the Big Ten. Sutton has similar potential, and his versatility allows him to play alongside Amani Hansberry and Morez Johnson.

This article first appeared on Armchair Illini and was syndicated with permission.

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