UK notebook: Sutton's son - dolce & g

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When asked what other career options he considered as a younger man, Oral Roberts Coach Scott Sutton laughed.

The son of Hall of Fame Coach Eddie Sutton would make an interesting guinea pig in the heredity-versus-environment debate. If he wasn't born to coach, he certainly was bred to coach.

His father, who was wise to the ups anddowns of the profession, tried to dissuade Scott and older brother Sean from becoming coaches. He failed.

Scott, who coached Oral Roberts in the Cancun Challenge last week, knew he wanted to be a coach when he watched his father lead Oklahoma State to the 1995 Final Four.

"That was the first year I wasn't part of a team," Scott said, "and I just realized this is going to be my life. This is what I want to do."

Scott has done it well. In his 11 seasons at Oral Roberts, he's won four Summit League championships, guided the team to the last three NCAA Tournaments, and posted victories over such teams as Arkansas, Georgetown, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Seton Hall and Kansas.

The nadir of his father's career came at Kentucky in 1988-89. Major NCAA rules violations caused the coaching staff's forced resignation. Sean, the UK point guard, transferred after the season. Scott had a ringside seat as a senior at Henry Clay High.

"It was more difficult for me watching Sean and my dad go through it," he said. "I had a great group of friends at Henry Clay and I was busy with my high school basketball and Coach (Al) Prewitt. So I had a lot of distractions to keep my mind from really thinking too much."

After high school, Scott followed his father and Sean to Oklahoma State. In hindsight, he sees his father's departure from UK as a blessing.

"Having a chance to play for my father, I would not have done that at Kentucky," he said. "I don't think that's a healthy situation."

Scott noted how poorly UK fans treated Sean and later another son of another UK coach, Saul Smith.

"OSU fans are very loyal and very passionate, but they never — at least when we played — they've never attacked their own," Scott said. "What makes Kentucky great is those passionate fans. At the same time, some of the negatives they have are those passionate fans."

Now retired, Eddie keeps busy as a board member of a Tulsa bank, Scott said. Sean, who succeeded his father as Oklahoma State coach, hopes to get back into coaching next spring.

At the Cancun Challenge, Scott's team lost to Sam Houston State and then beat Florida A&M. His players reflected the Sutton basketball creed: attentive man-to-man defense, solid ball handling and wise shot selection. All done with one-for-all willingness.

Scott kept a firm, but not oppressive, hand on his team.

An observer couldn't help wondering why Scott, now 39, had not moved up the coaching ladder. He's had opportunities. But his wife and three young daughters like life in Tulsa, He's got the trust and support of his administration.

So far in his career, happiness has beaten ambition.

"It may always win," he said. "I'm trying to build this program to the point we'll be looked at like Creighton or Southern Illinois, a really good mid-major team."

Smiling easily and chatty, Scott seemed a contented man.

Patterson fine

UK big man Patrick Patterson shrugged off an ankle sprain and played well against Stanford in the Cancun Challenge championship game.

Patterson took a cortisone shot before the Stanford game to ease the pain of an ankle sprained the previous night against Cleveland State. UK had listed him as day to day. After the Stanford game, he said the ankle would be fine by Monday, when UK plays UNC Asheville in Louisville.

Patterson had 12 points and 11 rebounds against Stanford to post his fourth double-double of the season and 25th in his UK career. That moved him ahead of Pat Riley for 10th on the program's all-time list.

Next up: Jamal Mashburn with 26 and Sam Bowie with 27.

Patterson's gotten his 25 double-doubles in 65 career games. Riley played 80 for UK, Mashburn 98 and Bowie 96.

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