Starting Five: 2019-20 Men’s Basketball’s

BOSTON – Suffolk men's basketball is three days away from tipping off the season at the Babson Invitational, but prior to game one of the 2019-20 campaign, GoSuffolkRams.com has compiled the top five things you need to watch out for this year.  

1. ONE LAST GNAC GO
   
   Suffolk joined the GNAC in 1999-00 and had its claim to fame among the conference counterparts in 2001-02 when it captured the league title en route to the automatic NCAA Division III berth. Z
   
   The Rams have one final chance to capture GNAC glory as the blue-and-gold will depart the league ranks in 2020-21 as Suffolk Athletics takes its talents to the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC). 
   
   Suffolk, who has made the league's postseason each of the last seven years and 15 times overall since 1999-20, looks to make its farewell known by its league foes by lifting the championship trophy for the second time in program history. 
   
   Overall, the Rams have assembled a 138-194 (41.6) league ledger in 20 campaigns. Under Jeff Juron's guidance, Suffolk has gone 30-33 (47.6) against conference competition. 
   
   
2. CLASS OF 2020
   
   The four seniors – Thomas Duffy, Jonathan Eng, George Grillakis and Cameron Powers – are what's left of Jeff Juron's first official recruiting class. The five-year head coach brought these players in as a freshman and since then the quartet has helped reshape the men's basketball program.
   
   Currently, the foursome boasts a 40-39 overall record as a class and have the chance to become one of the winningest four-year classes of men's basketball history. The current record for most wins by a senior class is held by the Class of 1978, who put together a 68-30 mark over four years 
   
   
3. DYNAMIC DUFFY
   
   Thomas Duffy has gotten better with age, improving on his offensive and defensive numbers in each of his three seasons in blue-and-gold, and Ram Nation can only hope he saved the best for last. 
   
   The senior from Fairfield, Connecticut, became the 30th member of Suffolk's 1,000-point club in the GNAC Quarterfinal tilt against Saint Joseph (Conn.) Feb. 19, 2019, and was the first student-athlete to hit the feat as a junior since Brian Small did so in 2008. 
   
   He has the chance to climb the scoring charts, as well as the all-time lists in assists and steals. Duffy is currently eighth all-time in handouts with 237 set-ups to his credit and is on the verge of cracking the top 10 in takeaways with 84 steals. 
   
4. OFFENSIVE OUTPUT
   
   Three of Suffolk's top five scorers are back in uniform from last season's team that posted the most victories (18) since it went 19-6 in 1975-76 and put up 79.3 points per outing.
   
   The pair of Thomas Duffy (15.6 ppg) and Brendan Mulson (13.3 ppg) led the way a year ago and the NCAA Division III statistical champion in three-point percentage Alex Jacovides supplied 12.1 ppg, mostly from downtown. 
   
5. HOW TO FOLLOW SUFFOLK MEN'S BASKETBALL IN 2019-20
   
   Family, fans and friends of Suffolk men's basketball can follow all of the action via the Athletic Department's website, GoSuffolkRams.com. Every game will be previewed and recapped with in-game live stats and video offered for every home event. 
   
   Members of Ram Nation are also encouraged to stay up-to-date on the Rams' official social media sites, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and use the official hashtag #RamNation for an insider's look at Suffolk's teams and student-athletes. 
   
   For a more in-depth, behind-the-scenes glimpse at Suffolk men's basketball, fans can follow the Rams on Instagram and Twitter at @SuffolkMBB.