Men’s basketball: Gophers and cancer patients form bond in new program
Gophers men’s basketball fans should not be surprised on Sunday when point guard Isaac Asuma’s No. 1 jersey has a unfamiliar name across his back for the Big Ten game against Maryland at Williams Arena.
Instead, Asuma’s white home jersey will read “Walker” to shout out his pairing with AJ Walker, a patient at M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital. That temporary change is an added way to intertwine head coach Niko Medved’s “Ski-U-Mah Strong” initiative between Minnesota players and patient “warriors.”
Minnesota (11-12, 4-8 Big Ten) tips off against the Terrapins (8-14, 1-10) at 1 p.m. at The Barn.
During his tenure at Colorado State, Medved wanted to localize the Coaches vs. Cancer effort from the National Association of Basketball Coaches and started the program six years ago with UCHealth. This carries over a similar effort to his alma mater.
“It’s something I really wanted to take here to our community,” Medved said earlier this week.
Each patient and family members receive exclusive treatment in the days leading up to the Gophers game, including a hangout on Friday, pregame festivities for the national anthem and a tribute at halftime at The Barn.
Each player and patient has developed a connection through letters, video conferences, in-person visits and meet-and-greet at practice.
“We really made it a personal thing,” Medved said of previous years. “The cancer warriors would write letters to our players, describing their journey and what they are going through. I think the players find that really inspiring.”
In the first half dozen years of the program, Medved has seen the deep connection forged for his players.
“The relationships our players have made with families and these people, some of them have been lifelong relationships,” Medved said. “I think it’s a really cool way to use our platform to help impact our community. I’m excited to bring it here to Minnesota.”
On Sunday, the Gophers are looking to build on their first upset of a top 10-ranked team since 2021. After Minnesota knocked off No. 10 Michigan State on Wednesday, the U will look to make it two wins in a row against Maryland.
The Terrapins, under first-year head coach Buzz Williams, are having a tougher debut season than Medved’s squad. Williams is also dealing with injuries, including to former Minnesota and Texas A&M center Pharrell Payne, who has not played due to injury since Dec. 13. The 6-foot-9 post from Park of Cottage Grove averaged 17.5 points and 7.2 rebounds in 10 games this season.
