“I’m nowhere near the level I need to be at.”
Those are the words Carleton Ravens guard Marcus Anderson reiterated minutes after his team won the bronze medal game at this year’s U Sports Final 8 Tournament in Halifax, N.S.
It’s also a motto that encapsulates the discipline, hard work, and dedication Anderson has put forth during his three years on the team in order to become the player he is today.
Anderson is coming off his best season to date, one in which he was named the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and U Sports defensive player of the year for the first time in his career. He put up a solid 7.3 points per game, while leading the Ravens lethal defensive unit.
Anderson remains determined to not allow his individual accomplishments to overshadow his team’s efforts.
“I just try to work for the team. Anything the team needs me to do, I try to work on it,” he said. “Sometimes I get frazzled and lose confidence, but guys on my team keep giving me energy and confidence, and I just keep trying to bring it.”
Before enrolling at Carleton, Anderson attended St. Edmund Campion Secondary School in Brampton, Ont., where he played against teams from Mississauga and Toronto in Tier 1 of the Region of Peel Secondary School Athletic Association.
“There is a lot of competition in Brampton, in the [Greater Toronto Area] for sure,” Anderson said. “Growing up with some good guys on my team, [they kept] pushing me. We had some good runs, some good high school teams, and a lot of talent.”
It was during his senior year, however, where he would finally receive recognition from one of Canada’s top university basketball programs.
While playing at the 2015 Frankie Gyamfi Memorial tournament at George Brown College in Toronto, Carleton Ravens head coach Dave Smart decided to pay a visit and watch the game from the stands.
“I had no idea . . . I was just playing my normal game,” Anderson said. “ . . . I remember that game. And after, my coach told me that they were recruiting me. I was excited.”
Since coming to Carleton University in 2015, Anderson has been able to find inspiration from previous veteran leaders such as Gavin Resch, current Raptors 905 guard Kaza Kajami-Keane, and Ryan Ejim, who also grew up in Brampton.
“They are great leaders,” Anderson said. “Everyday, I try to emulate what they brought to the table, day in and day out. I’m not where I need to be now or where they were [when they played]. So, I just gotta keep coming.”
While many might know him as ‘Marcus Anderson, the basketball player,’ it’s a much different narrative when it comes to understanding the person under the jersey.
Throughout his first three seasons, Anderson’s school and sporting life have sometimes clashed.
“It’s difficult at times, you know, trying to balance out school and life, and people around me, and friends, and the team. But I try to multitask and get everything right,” Anderson said.
For now, the third-year psychology major will be looking to pursue a potential professional career once he graduates from Carleton next year. After basketball, Anderson said he still hopes to stay in touch with the game he loves through coaching.
Going into his fourth year, Anderson will be relied on to be one of the team’s veteran leaders, as they look to avenge their heartbreaking U Sports semifinal loss to the Ryerson Rams. While the road to next season may seem far away, Anderson knows there is still plenty of work to be done in order to achieve the finished product he craves.
“Hopefully I’m going to improve on my shot. My shot needs to get a lot more work and comfortability coming off the ball,” Anderson said. “Defensively, my team can always be better, so I’m going to be focusing on that as well. Those are going to be the things that I’ll be working on.”
