Dwayne Sutton hopes his versatile play pays dividends at the NBA level

Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Whatever it takes.

That’s what Louisville’s Dwayne Sutton wants you to know about his will to win.

Sutton is certainly a versatile player who hopes to have the opportunity to help an NBA team, Sutton saw his final year at Louisville cut short before one of the more efficient teams in college basketball had an opportunity to potentially make a run.

Despite basically having a different coach for each of his collegiate years in basketball, Sutton brought a level head and positive attitude with him to the pre-draft process and, as he was advised by those who’ve preceded him, he’s only worrying about the things that he can control.

Please note that the transcript for this interview has been partially edited for brevity and clarity.

We’re in some pretty usual times, Dwayne. How have you been staying busy? What have you been doing?

DS: Just working out, trying to stay in shape, been running a little bit in the mornings, getting shots up at night, a lot of TV, a lot of YouTube, watching a lot of movies too, to be honest.

What are some of the movies and TV you’ve been watching?

DS: A lot of Netflix, Ozark, I’ve been watching Ozark on Netflix recently, just finished that. Money Heist, as well, on Netflix, pretty good series I’ve been watching.

Anything in particular that kinda stands out about this quarantine in terms of how you’ve been spending your time?

DS: No, I think it’s just a once in a lifetime experience. I feel like If I had to guess again if this was to happen again in my lifetime I would probably say no. It’s jut crazy that I’m living in it and we’re all living in it and I’ll just take it one day at a time.

Obviously, you’re living through this while also preparing for the NBA Draft. I know you’ve been doing really well and that teams have been really interested in you. What are some of the things that you’d want them to know about you coming out of this process?

DS: Probably that I’m just a guy and a teammate who’s gonna do whatever it takes to win. I feel like my whole college career playing in college everything that was asked for me from a coach I did, whether that scoring the ball, guarding the other team’s best player, I did. Getting a big rebound, making a big shot, I feel like I could do that I hope to do that in the NBA, as well.

How would you describe your ideal role for an NBA team in terms of ways you can stand out for a team and excel?

DS: I’m not quite sure on an ideal role but I want to be in a situation where I can make myself comfortable playing my game. I feel like I can guard a few different positions, I feel like I can get to the rim and make plays above the room and knock down the outside shot and I feel like whatever team gives me the opportunity to do that I will.

You mentioned being able to be able to guard the team’s best defender. I see that when guys tried to shoot against you off the dribble, you held them to about 20 percent. Tell me about how you’re able to pick guys up off the dribble and lock them down.

DS: You just got to figure out who you’re guarding night to night. I know this year, I watched a lot of film with guys who I was gonna be guarding in the games coming up to who were playing and I just tried to make sure whatever they were good at, I tried to make them uncomfortable in doing it and making it as tough as possible. I also like to be kind of physical with players, just use my body and my strength to tire players out, kinda move them around a little bit, as well.

As a shooter, tell us about some of the ways that you’ve been able to create spot-up opportunities for yourself, the evolution of your jumpshot and how you’ve been able to become a reliable shooter.

DS: You know it’s just confidence and getting reps. Coach Mac believed in me… I feel like I believed in myself more than anybody when it comes to scoring the ball, I just took my chances when they were there whether it was knocking down an open 3 or getting to the rim and making an and-1. I just kinda picked my spots and be aggressive when I do.

One of the most interesting things about your team is how efficient you guys were. You were a Top 15 team in terms of your offensive efficiency. What do you think your role was in that offense to help make it so effective?

DS: Probably do a little bit of everything. You know some games I didn’t shoot any threes, some games I would shoot five threes. I think for me it was just letting the game come to me, I can space the floor for my teammates, but I also could get downhill and put pressure on the defense and also puts them in foul trouble if I had to and I feel like I did that. I think I was pretty good job of mixing it up so I could keep teams honest in how they defended me.

You’re going through this pre-draft process with some of your other teammates. What are some ways you’ve been able to motivate each other through this process?

DS: We know it’s gonna be a process. You know we kinda just go at it a day at a time, take every interview as serious as possible and just let teams know what they can expect from us as people and also as players. I feel like, with that, the rest of it is up to God and the NBA front office on what happens with that. I feel like we’re just focusing on things we can control which is just being ourselves and staying in shape.

You played at Louisville for a few years. What kind of interactions have you had with former Louisville players and what kind of advice have they given you along the way?

DS: Honestly, I haven’t talked to that many former players about this process. I’ve been talking to my close friend Raymond Spalding, who went through the process a few years ago. He was telling me to enjoy it, don’t take anything for granted, basically telling me to be myself and play my game and I’ll be fine.

You were a transfer coming in from UNC-Asheville. What are some ways that you think that shapes your story and what kind of advice would you give someone in a similar situation who finds themselves in your shoes?

DS: I feel like everybody’s journey is different. You know, I wasn’t highly recruited at any point in my career. I played in the EYBL against some of the top players and performed very well against them but I still didn’t get the offers that I wanted. I think it’s just being yourself, sticking with it and, you know, whatever you’re good at, make your strengths as strong as they can be and make your weaknesses as strong as they can be and everything else is just gonna fall into place.

One thing I’m curious about is the pen emoji and the pen and paper it looks like you’re kinda using to write, too. I’m curious about that.

DS: Honestly, I don’t know, I just started using it, I don’t know probably like a year ago — kinda just like “Write it down, take note.” I just put that in the back of my head, you know, people gonna eventually take note of what’s going on. I felt like everybody has something they look to in order to keep going, keep pushing and eventually everybody will take note.

What are some of the things you’ll back on as the most interesting things you’ve experienced or encounter during your time at Louisville?

DS: The most interesting? Probably that I basically had a different coach every year that I was at Louisville. The first year, I sat out, I had Coach Pitino, then the whole Pitino thing happened, I had Coach Padgett for a year, then I had Coach Mack for two. It’s just crazy how things happen, but you know through it all, you got to keep pushing, gotta keep working and mainly just focus on the things that you can control. And that’s what I did.

You guys finished as maybe a Top-10 team in college basketball, but what are some ways that you’re kinda able to reconcile with how the season was cut short?

DS: You know it was crazy, you know we woke up that day looking to play Syracuse and then everything that happened, it was just sad to see my last year of college basketball go out that way, but on the bright side, I felt like it was the right decision to make mainly because of the seriousness of the virus. But I thought everything happens for a reason. I’m gonna look back at this 20 years from now, I’m gonna be like “Wow, I really lived that.” I couldn’t do anything about it, it just happened, you gotta move on.

You are an underrated rebounder, as well. I’d love to hear a little bit about your rebounding and how you’ve become so effective at it.

DS: I feel like rebounding is just something that I was born with. I’ve always been a good rebounder, I feel like I have very good instincts as to where the ball is going to come off. I think I can jump pretty high and I have very good hands and I combine all three of those things and I just go get ‘em. That’s why you see me bringing down 10 rebounds a game, basically, a night.

From my perspective, I’m definitely curious, for you, what’s something that you think is gonna be the most important thing that stands out for you, like “This is why I’m gonna make it?”

DS: Probably just my willingness to do anything and also my self-awareness. I know who I am as a player, I’m not trying to get outside of myself and be James Harden, I know what I can do, I plan on perfecting that and doing it to the best of my ability, each and every night.

How would you describe that guy/player? Who is that player?

DS: I’m just a guy who’s going to do whatever it takes to win whether that’s making threes or that’s guarding the team’s best player, I can do a little bit of everything to be honest and that’s what I plan on doing.

In terms of the NBA Combine, we won’t get to have that in the traditional sense, but if we did, what are some things that you think would stand out about you?

DS: Probably my 3/4 quart sprint, honestly. I feel like I can get there in probably — one of the fastest times there to be honest. And also probably the benchpress and probably my wingspan, my wingspan is probably about 6-foot-9, 6-foot-10.

Awesome, Dwayne. Thanks so much for your time. What else would you want people to know about you? Anything interesting about your background or your goals for the future?

DS: My goal is to make an NBA roster, for sure. I think that I can, given my skillset, my talent and my work ethic, honestly. I feel like I’m just gonna go out there and compete and have fun and whatever happens happens.

This interview with Dwayne Sutton was conducted by USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s Bryan Kalbrosky.

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