Goran Suton

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Goran Suton

| image = CJB 15 16 GORAN SUTON DGL 0185.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Suton with Cedevita in 2012

| position = Center

| height = 2.08 m

| weight = 111 kg

| league =

| team =

| number =

| nationality = Bosnian / Croatian / American

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|8|11|df=y}}

| birth_place = Sarajevo, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia

| high_school = Everett (Lansing, Michigan)

| college = Michigan State (2005–2009)

| draft_year = 2009

| draft_round = 2

| draft_pick = 50

| draft_team = Utah Jazz

| career_start = 2009

| career_end = 2019

| years1 = 2009–2010

| team1 = Spartak St. Petersburg

| years2 = 2010–2011

| team2 = Angelico Biella

| years3 = 2011–2012

| team3 = Cibona

| years4 = 2012–2014

| team4 = Cedevita

| years5 = 2014–2016

| team5 = Joventut Badalona

| years6 = 2016–2019

| team6 = Estudiantes

| highlights =

2× Croatian League champion (2012, 2014)
Second-team All-Big Ten (2009)

}}

Goran Suton (born 11 August 1985) is a Bosnian-Croat former professional basketball player who last played for Movistar Estudiantes of the Liga ACB. He played college basketball with the Michigan State Spartans.

Early years

Suton was born on the outskirts of Sarajevo in then-Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia, to father Miroslav and mother Živana,{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/sports/ncaabasketball/02michstate.html|title = Michigan State Center's Game of Survival|newspaper = The New York Times|date = April 2009|last1 = Lapointe|first1 = Joe}} a Bosnian Croat and Bosnian Serb respectively. During the Bosnian War, he lived with his family in Gornji Milanovac, Serbia.{{cite web|title=Hrvata oterale NATO bombe|url=http://www.kurir-info.rs/hrvata-oterale-nato-bombe-clanak-156740|publisher=kurir-info.rs|access-date=4 October 2013}} He played for the Bosnian U14 side before his family moved to the US, where he attended Everett High School in Lansing, Michigan. There he led the Everett Vikings to a Class A boys basketball title in 2004 as a senior.

College career

Suton first rose to notability during his freshman season at Michigan State, when he notoriously missed a last-second layup in a hotly contested game against Gonzaga in the Maui Invitational.{{Cite web |url=http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recap?gid=200511220358 |title=Archived copy |access-date=21 April 2009 |archive-date=6 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006195540/http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recap?gid=200511220358 |url-status=dead }} Suton developed into a key player for the Spartans during his career, earning second team All-Big Ten marks during his senior season.[http://www.bigtennetwork.com/sports/mbasketball/story.asp?list_id=1&story_id=3189752 Conference hands out Big Ten men's basketball awards] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090414172442/http://www.bigtennetwork.com/sports/mbasketball/story.asp?list_id=1&story_id=3189752 |date=14 April 2009 }}

Suton helped the Spartans to an NCAA Final Four as a senior in 2009. He was especially effective during the 2009 Final Four run, holding USC star Taj Gibson to three points, and hitting a string of jump shots against Louisville on his way to scoring 19 points in the game.{{Cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=294000061|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714164022/http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=294000061|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 July 2012|title = Michigan State vs. Louisville - Game Recap - March 29, 2009 - ESPN}}{{Cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=294000059|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090324130916/http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=294000059|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 March 2009|title = USC vs. Michigan State - Game Recap - March 22, 2009 - ESPN}} Suton was named Most Outstanding Player of the Midwest regional in 2009. Suton was named to the first team all-tournament.

Professional career

Suton was chosen 50th overall by the Utah Jazz in the 2009 NBA draft. Jazz coach Jerry Sloan cut Suton during the preseason on 21 October 2009. Suton signed a contract with Spartak St. Petersburg of the Russian Basketball Super League on 2 November 2009. For the 2010–2011 season he played with Angelico Biella of Italy. In July 2011 he signed with Cibona Zagreb and won Croatian championship with them.[http://www.euroleague.net/news/i/86459/180/cibona-signs-big-man-suton Cibona signs big man Suton] In August 2012 Suton joined Cibona's city rivals KK Cedevita. In August 2014, he moved to Spain and signed with Joventut Badalona.{{cite news|title=Goran Suton from Cedevita to Joventut |url=http://www.abaliga.com/a7771/News/Goran_Suton_from_Cedevita_to_Joventut.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141101162243/http://www.abaliga.com/a7771/News/Goran_Suton_from_Cedevita_to_Joventut.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 November 2014 |access-date=1 November 2014 |work=Abaliga.com }} On 5 August 2015, Suton signed a new deal with Joventut Badalona for one more season after averaged 10.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in his first season in Liga ACB.{{cite news|title=Goran Suton, renovations were for FIATC Joventut|url=http://solobasket.com/liga-endesa/goran-suton-renovacion-de-lujo-para-el-fiatc-joventut|access-date=2 August 2015|work=Solobasket.com|language=es}} On 2 August 2016, he signed with Estudiantes.[http://www.sportando.com/en/europe/spain/208449/estudiantes-adds-size-with-goran-suton.html Estudiantes adds size with Goran Suton]

Personal

Suton became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 2006.{{Cite web |url=http://www.tampabay.com/sports/basketball/college/article987964.ece |title=Michigan State Spartans C Goran Suton knew real war as a child - St. Petersburg Times |access-date=5 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607041832/http://www.tampabay.com/sports/basketball/college/article987964.ece |archive-date=7 June 2011 |url-status=dead }}