Mar 29, 2009; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans center Goran Suton (14) waves to the crowd after cutting down a piece of the net after defeating the Louisville Cardinals 64-52 in the finals of the midwest region of the 2009 NCAA mens basketball tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-Imagn Images Jerry Lai-Imagn Images

Former NCAA Tournament Standout Joins Michigan State Staff

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Aidan Champion | Last updated Jul 7, 2025 4:49 PM ET

Michigan State has added a familiar face to its basketball staff.

The program announced on social media on Monday that former Spartan center Goran Suton has re-joined the program as a graduate assistant.

Excited to have Goran Suton back in East Lansing this season as a GA! pic.twitter.com/hJ1KDQTJWF
— Michigan State Men's Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) July 7, 2025

Suton played four years at Michigan State and was crucial to its run to the 2009 national championship. He averaged 10.4 points per game and led the team in rebounding with 8.4 boards per game.

On that tournament run, Suton was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional. He would also be named to the All-Tournament First Team.

Suton's performance in the tournament was truly one for the ages, as he posted double-digit rebounds in four of the Spartans' six games, including the national title game when he recorded 11 to go along with his 17 points. He started the tournament off with a bang when he tallied 17 rebounds, the second-highest mark of his career, against Robert Morris in the first round.

Suton also scored 20 points against Kansas in the Sweet 16 and 19 against Louisville in the Elite Eight.

He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors for that season.

Suton totaled 1,081 points and 887 rebounds in his career. He averaged 8.1 points and 6.6 rebounds. His rebound total ranks eighth in program history.

Suton went on to be drafted by the Utah Jazz in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft but was cut in preseason. He would then play overseas in Russia, Italy, Croatia and Spain. He won two Croatian League championships, one with Cibona Zagreb and one with Cedevita Olimpija.

Suton played for Everett High School in Lansing. He grew up in Bosnia before his family moved to Croatia for a year, then to Lansing.

One would assume Suton will be working with the bigs, which should only help seniors Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler, as well as freshman forward Cam Ward and redshirt freshman center Jesse McCulloch, develop their games.

His tournament experience should help as well and should give returners from last season's Elite Eight squad another mentor they can relate with.

Suton's return is a testament to one of the things Tom Izzo prides his program in: Players "come back."

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