Here in Spirit: Morgan State's Anderson always on the minds of his teammates

Morgan State, the top dog in this week's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament, has hit some bumps this season, but none that compare to the rough road Anthony Anderson is traveling.

Anderson, a 6-10 redshirt freshman from St. Charles, Md., was told he had leukemia right before the start of the season. Instead of being one of the Coach Todd Bozeman's first options off the bench, he has spent much of the season going through rounds of chemotherapy at Johns Hopkins University Hospital.

And although Anderson hasn't physically been with the team, he has been there in spirit, Bozeman said. All the players are wearing No. 4 patches on their uniforms -- the number that Anderson would have worn -- as reminders of him.

"He was a nonqualifier, and he sat out last season," Bozeman said of Anderson. "It's just been real emotional for us."

Bozeman said that Anderson sent him a text message before the first game, wishing the Bears good luck. The message left Bozeman so emotional, he said, he could barely read it to the rest of the team.

"He's a great kid, and I know people say that all the time and I'm not just saying that because he has cancer," Bozeman said. "This kid is emotional, and everybody loves him. He's just a good, old country boy that says honest things that might be corny to other folks, but with big Anthony that's just how he is."

DeWayne Jackson, from Bowie, Md., also enrolled at Morgan State in 2008. Now a 6-8 redshirt freshman, he also sat out last season, and he and Anderson grew close during that time.

Jackson said it has been tough knowing that his good friend isn't with the team and is instead in the hospital.

"He is my best friend," Jackson said in a hushed voice. "He was always with me last year when we were both sitting out, and I don't know where I'd be without him."

The Bears -- 24-9, seeded No. 1 and trying to reach the tournament final for the third straight season -- have had more to play for than just a championship, according to Jackson.

"He's a big inspiration, and I play for him and my family," Jackson said.

The Morgan State players and coaches all try to stay in touch with Anderson. During Christmas break, Bozeman made several trips to the hospital to check up on Anderson.

"I text him every day, and we talk a lot," Jackson said. "He keeps me focused."

Bozeman can't help but remember the text message Anderson sent him in November.

"Before our first game, he sent me a text, and I got real emotional and at the end he said, ‘We're grinders' and that's been our rallying point all season," Bozeman said. "That's been our thing since the first practice, just keep grinding away."

To keep Anderson a part of the team, all of the Bears signed a basketball, and they take turns carrying it on campus every day. Bozeman says that it's a way to make sure Anderson isn't forgotten.

"They take turns with the ball, and it's important to us," Bozeman said.

Bozeman was holding out hope in January that Anderson might be able to be strong enough by now to attend the tournament, but it does not appear that will happen.

"He's with this team, there's no question," Bozeman said. "The school's committed to honor his scholarship regardless if he ever plays or not. We just want to honor him for what he's meant to us, so they've carried that with them all season."