By Ian Kea

Winchester, Massachusetts native, Caleb Unni, standing at 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds has been a pivotal player for the Suffolk University men’s basketball team since his arrival two years ago.

Coming to Suffolk was an easy choice for Unni as longtime Men’s Basketball coach, Adam Nelson, recruited him heavily. He also saw the Sawyer Business School as an amazing opportunity.

“I chose Suffolk due to the great location it had to offer, the academic reputation of the Sawyer Business School, its closeness to home and the ability to be able to play college basketball,” said Unni. “While in high school, Nelson recruited me and would always see how I was doing. It showed he really cared about me and that I was important to the program. This helped me make my decision of where to go to college in a great way.”

After losing to St. Joseph’s College of Maine last season, Unni immediately went back to training and the drawing board to find ways to put Suffolk on top.

“Last year’s finish was pretty tough in the end,” said Unni. “We played a hard fought game against a great St. Joseph’s team. I felt that we should have won that game. We used our loss as motivation to work hard in the off-season. This summer, I did Crossfit, which is an excellent workout program to get you in shape. I believe this has benefitted me greatly. I also worked on my jump shot, mid-range and 3-pointer … I could hit these shots during high-pressure situations in the game.”

Unni who is one of seven sole guards on the team sees himself as a leader not just on the stat board, where he is a top 25 3-point percentage shooter in the conference, but also on the court.

“As the point guard of the team many people refer to this position as the floor general of the court,” said Unni. “The point guard is the person who tells his teammates what to run for offense and defense. The point guard also controls the tempo of the game and I believe I fit into this specific criteria. As a team, we need to practice harder and not take anything lightly. We need to be prepared for any team we face this year. I look up to Rajon Rondo to improve my game in basketball. He is truly a floor general that leads his team. During the game, Rondo will always find his teammates when they’re open and help them score. He will do anything to win.”

Elected as captain of the squad after the end of his freshman year, Unni knows how to lead, especially in a tough GNAC conference that holds a top ten nationally ranked competitor in Albert Magnus.

“I believe that we have the talent, capability to win the conference and make it into the NCAA tournament,” said Unni. But this is not an easy task. We need to put the work and effort to accomplish this feat. This will not come easy, I believe my teammates know this. My expectations are always high.”