When Aaron "A.C." Cunningham arrived at Cape Breton University from Shelburne, Ontario, he brought more than just a fast-paced playing style and a reliable jump shot. He brought a "team-first" philosophy that has since made him a pillar of the CAPERS Men's Basketball program.
Now in his third year, the 21-year-old guard has become the bridge between the program's storied past and its championship-hungry future. Originally from Whitby, Aaron moved to Shelburne, Ontario, in 2017, where he spent most of his high school years, but his basketball development took him across borders and time zones before he ever put on a Capers jersey.
"I went to North Carolina for a year in high school, and played down there for a year," Cunningham says. "Then I came back and did another year back in Shelburne, but I played for a team in Waterloo. I had to go back and forth every day. That was a lot of driving, but it was worth it."
'AC' on the East Coast
Little did he know Shelburne to Waterloo (85 Km) was a short trip compared to the voyage he'd make to Cape Breton Island. The transition to Atlantic University Sport (AUS) was a wake-up call in terms of speed and parity. While Ontario ball is known for its talent, Aaron found the East Coast game had a different kind of urgency.
"The game out here is very fast. Back home was fast-paced, but you could get away with being a little slower. But here, it's fast. Everything is competitive out here," Aaron says. "You never know who is going to win the next game. Everyone's beating everyone. The last place team, SMU, is taking UNB, which is second place, to overtime, two games back-to-back. You just never know."
To navigate that gauntlet of close games, Cunningham says the roster relies on absolute trust. In a league where the margin for error is razor-thin, he notes that the players stay calm because they "Know that if someone falls, we have their back." It is a culture of mutual support that is necessary for survival on the court, but it also reflects the unique relationship the team has off-court as well.
Anchor in the Community
For Aaron, the "Caper" identity isn't confined to the fast pace on the hardwood of the Sullivan Fieldhouse. Much of his impact has been felt in getting to know the youth of Cape Breton Island through Capers in the Community. The partnership between CBU and CBRM Recreation brings varsity athletes into neighbourhoods across the Island to lead free multi-sport sessions for local youth.
"This summer was a lot of fun," Aaron says. "It's very fun just to be in the community and engage with everyone. It makes me feel more a part of the Cape Breton community, more than just the campus."
In Ontario, Aaron says a University varsity player might just be seen as a "regular guy," or "just another team," but in Cape Breton, where the CAPERS are the top talent that young fans can see, the reach of the program has turned him into a local celebrity for the next generation of athletes.
"All these kids recognize me from the games. They're like, Oh, you're Aaron!' or You're AC!' It's crazy. I'm like, You guys actually know me?'"
A Community Effort, On Court and in the Classroom
For Aaron, balancing a Business Administration and Community Studies degree with a varsity basketball schedule isn't a solo act either. He says it's a combination of the community support of his team, the expectation set by himself, the example displayed by his parents and the standard set by the professors and staff who refuse to let student-athletes settle for "just playing."
"Education is a very key thing here," says Aaron, who was also recently recognized as an Academic All-Canadian. "We have the support to make sure we're on top of our stuff. It's a team effort to make it work."
That distinction holds important personal weight for Cunningham.
"It's very important to me, especially because my parents have always been very big on school," Aaron says. "I try to do it for more than myself, but for them as well. I want to show that I can do more than just play basketball and that there's more than just the game."
Achieving that status while playing at a high level didn't come easy. Aaron says the specific brand of community support that has come to define CBU Athletics was key to balancing academic and athletic success. Cunningham recalls a time when he was struggling with a course and reached out to Teena Campbell, the Varsity Athletics Manager at CBU, for help.
"She got me into a scheduling program and tutors. She got me in contact with a tutor, Uzi (Ousman Cham), on the soccer team. He went above and beyond. I was in the library one day for 10 hours. We banged out all the work and everything to get me ready for my midterm and my final. Without that, I don't know what I would have done. I might have had to drop the course."
Paying it Forward
That sense of communal responsibility is key to the CAPERS' successes, something Cunningham learned from previous leaders like Tyson Cato, Mitchell Mersereau and Shakael "Shak" Pryce. Even now, with Pryce playing professional basketball overseas, the mentorship loop remains unbroken, still taking time to review game film with Aaron and teammate Stefan Anisko, another CAPERS leader on the court.
"Shaq, Stef and I, we still all watch film together," Cunningham says. "He gives us pointers. He's away playing pro. He doesn't have to do any of this. He still takes time to watch film with us, he sits us down, clips our games and goes through them with us. Tyson and Mitch still come to all of our Halifax games to support. They literally paved the way for us."
Now the AUS basketball veteran himself, 21-year-old Cunningham takes that same approach with the freshmen, focusing on the "bigger purpose" rather than the heat of the moment. He emphasizes that the team has built an environment and culture of honesty where feedback is valued over "always being nice."
The Legacy
As the Capers prepare for the 2026 AUS playoffs on February 20 in Halifax, Cunningham is focused on the "full 40 minutes" required to win.
"Our mindset is to play the full 40 minutes," Aaron says. "We can't play 35 minutes because we don't know what's going to happen in the other 5, it's happened to us enough times that we know that we can't afford it. It can't happen. So I think our mindset is to play the full 40 minutes, be together and stay together."
Beyond the scoreboard, he is focused on the impact he leaves on the kids in the CBRM who now know him as "AC."
"Back home, it was like, okay, you're just a regular high school team. Nobody cares. But here, we're the team. It's a surreal moment to be able to give back to the community that took me in. I love every part of it."
Aaron says that when his time at CBU eventually ends, he hopes his reputation is built on reliability.
"I want to be remembered as a leader to everyone up here. Someone needed something and Aaron did it. I want to be that guy. You can still call me 20 years down the road and I'll show up."
