Coaches creating
their own identities

Thompson III and Sutton have
followed in their famous fathers'
footsteps

Scott Sutton and John Thompson III haven't crossed paths much, but they probably have a pretty good idea of what each other's life was like growing up.

The squeaking of sneakers on hardwood and the bounce of the ball composed the soundtrack of their youth as they shadowed their fathers, both renowned college basketball coaches, to countless practices and games.

Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic Today: Georgetown vs. Oral Roberts, 5 p.m.; Long Beach St. vs. Hawaii, 7:30 p.m. Where: Stan Sheriff Center TV: Live, KFVE Ch. 5 Radio: Live, KKEA 1420-AM Internet: HawaiiAthletics.com Tickets: Packages, $64-84. Individual sessions $5-20. Parking $3

While Sutton's father, Eddie Sutton, coached national powers at Oklahoma State, Arkansas and Kentucky, Thompson watched his dad transform Georgetown into an elite program.

Now in command of their own teams, Sutton and Thompson are establishing their own identities in the coaching profession and meet tonight in the opening game of the 41st Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic.

Sutton leads undefeated Oral Roberts against Thompson's Georgetown squad at 5 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center. Hawaii plays Long Beach State at 7:30.

"There's going to be comparisons when you have fathers who have been as successful as our fathers have. But ever since I got in this business, it really hasn't affected me," Sutton said. "I haven't let any expectations or comparisons bother me.

"Those are two of the all-time greats in my opinion, and we're just trying to build our own programs and make names for ourselves."

For John Thompson III, the comparisons are inevitable as he takes over the program his father coached for 27 years. The elder Thompson guided Georgetown to three Final Fours and the 1984 national championship.

Thompson III played at Princeton and learned the coaching trade under another legendary coach, the Tigers' Pete Carril. Thompson was eventually named head coach and led the Tigers to three Ivy League titles before being hired by Georgetown to replace Craig Esherick, who was fired after last season's 13-15 campaign.

As he tries to lead the Hoyas back to the upper echelon of the Big East, Thompson said following his Hall of Fame father to Georgetown hasn't produced any additional stress.

"I've been John Thompson's son all my life and I'm pretty comfortable being his son," he said. "Obviously, people hear the name and they make the association with him. I don't know if there's more pressure or less pressure. It's who I am. I don't think there's anyone that'll put more pressure on me to succeed than myself."

Despite his family's ties to the program, Thompson said coaching the Hoyas was never his goal.

"I was happy where I was -- I could have stayed at Princeton forever," he said. "It wasn't like this was something I always dreamt about. But now that the opportunity presented itself, I'm excited to work with this group of guys."

Thompson doesn't like to characterize his task at Georgetown as rebuilding, but "it is what it is. We have a long way to go with our team. But I've said over and over we just want to take baby steps. We want to be better tomorrow than we were today."

Sutton, who played for his dad at Oklahoma State, is in his sixth season as ORU's head coach and has the Golden Eagles primed for a run at the Mid-Continent Conference championship. ORU is off to a 7-0 start, highlighted by four road wins, grabbing the spotlight from crosstown rival Tulsa.

"We're getting more and more respect and we have a great opportunity to get some more if we can come over to Honolulu and play well," Sutton said.

While Thompson is trying to restore Georgetown's reputation, Sutton is looking to elevate ORU's national profile. The Eagles have posted at least 17 wins each of the last three years and return two of the nation's top sophomores in guard Ken Tutt and forward Caleb Green.

"There were a lot of expectations on this team, there's a lot of hype," Sutton said. "Our goal is to win our league and get to the NCAA Tournament. I think anything short of that and it'll be a disappointing season for us."

Although Georgetown and Oral Roberts are making their first appearances in the Rainbow Classic, both coaches have experience in the tournament.

Thompson was an assistant on the Princeton team that won the 1998 Classic championship. Sutton played for Oklahoma State when the Cowboys participated in the 1993 tournament.

"You get to play against three quality opponents and each game is important to us," Thompson said. "Each game we're learning something about ourselves, each game we're getting a better feel for each other. So we're fortunate to have the opportunity to be invited."

Shooting clinic tomorrow: Professional shooting instructor Dave Hopla will hold a free clinic tomorrow morning at Gym I in the University of Hawaii athletic complex. The seminar starts at 9 a.m. and runs through 10:30. All children and their parents are invited.

Hopla, known as one of the world's best shooters, will also put on an exhibition during this week's Rainbow Classic.

UH coach Riley Wallace invited Hopla to conduct the demonstration. Hopla, who has been known to knock down close to 500 shots during a clinic, holds camps across the country and has worked with NBA players such as Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton, Stephon Marbury and Allan Houston.