Torin Francis never wants to take any credit for his team’s success. Whether leading his Tabor Academy high-school team to three New England prep-school championships or beating Pittsburgh with a last-second basket, Francis always credits his teammates.

‘We were in high school Top-25 last season, and Torin was a huge reason for that,’ Tabor Academy head coach David First said. ‘Still, he always gave the credit to his teammates.’

Now a freshman power forward for No. 12 Notre Dame, Francis attributes success to Notre Dame guards Chris Thomas and Matt Carroll rather than high-school teammates Michael Robinson and Donal Corkum.

Francis started playing basketball about five years ago. He played two years for Boston Latin before transferring to Tabor. At Tabor, Francis flourished under First’s system and became one of the nation’s most heavily recruited high-schoolers.

As a senior, Francis averaged 28.5 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks, good enough to earn McDonald’s All-American honors.

Several schools sought Francis’ services, and he said he had as many as 10 on his final list. In the end, Notre Dame was the right fit.

‘They let me come right in and play,’ Francis said. ‘Playing time helps you get a lot better.’

Notre Dame associate head coach Sean Kearney helped recruit Francis and knew he had found a special talent.

‘He’s just a solid talent and the greatest individual,’ Kearney said. ‘He has continued to improve weekly and monthly and really worked at his offensive game.’

Kearney said Notre Dame’s early participation in November’s Guardians Classic was mainly to get more playing time for younger players like Francis.

Apparently, that strategy worked, as Francis broke out in December’s BB&T Classic in Washington, D.C. In that event, the unranked Irish beat two top-10 teams. In a 79-67 win over defending national-champion Maryland on Dec. 7, Francis scored 20 points and added eight boards. The next day, in a 98-92 victory over No. 2 Texas, he poured in 21 points and grabbed 10 boards.

Despite being Notre Dame’s leading scorer in each of those wins, Francis refused to boast.

‘They were team wins,’ Francis said. ‘We felt that we had something to prove. We just stepped onto the court with a positive attitude.’

Since those two wins, Francis’ play tailed off. In league play, he averages 8.6 points and 6.4 boards.

‘I had an idea what (the Big East) was about,’ Francis said. ‘I knew it would be physical, and I had to get more physical and aggressive.’

At times, Francis has been accused of being too soft and indecisive. Francis acknowledged he needs to make quicker decisions.

‘I’ve got to catch the ball and make an instant decision,’ Francis said. ‘Either shoot or draw the defense and kick out.’

First dismissed the notion that Francis plays too soft. He said Francis is focused and will improve.

‘He can be very tentative and at other times look unstoppable,’ First said.

Added Irish associate head coach Kearney: ‘He just amazes the staff sometimes. The first half sometimes won’t go well for him, but goes right back in and finishes great. That’s remarkable for a freshman.’

Francis’ latest strong finish came in the 66-64 victory Feb. 9 over Pitt. He scored the winning basket with less than one second to play. Once again, he refused to take credit.

‘I feel like I’m in an ideal situation,’ Francis said. ‘This is a high-caliber team, and the direction of the program will help for the future. All those things make it perfect.’

[b]Husky trouble[/b]You would think with Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun recovering from prostate cancer surgery, the least his players could do was stay out of trouble. Easier said than done for guard Ben Gordon.

Police arrested Gordon Friday on charges he hit a female student. That student was also arrested for allegedly hitting Gordon. Gordon, a sophomore, was released on $1,000 bond Friday and scored 25 points in Saturday’s 79-70 loss to Villanova.

UConn Associate Athletic Director Kyle Muncy said Connecticut will let Gordon keep playing.

‘Coach Calhoun and (Athletic Director) Lew Perkins are both aware of the situation and are continuing to gather information,’ Muncy told the AP.

[b]Battle for the bottom[/b]When Rutgers and Georgetown, the Big East West’s worst teams, met Feb. 11, they actually had a lot at stake. Each division’s last-place team misses the Big East tournament.

Rutgers won, 66-59, to split the season series with Georgetown. A loss would have severely hurt the Knights’ chances of playing at Madison Square Garden in March.

‘We are aware we are in danger of missing the tournament,’ Rutgers head coach Gary Waters said. ‘We’re trying not to bring it to the forefront and trying not to talk about it in front of the players.’

Waters, like many coaches around the league, dislikes the current tournament setup. He argued that almost every other conference around the country allows all teams to participate.

‘I think every team should make it,’ Waters said. ‘It hurts the morale of lower teams.’

[b]Knight returns home[/b]Saturday’s trip to Seton Hall marked Pittsburgh point guard Brandin Knight’s last trip to Continental Airlines Arena. Knight hails from nearby East Orange, N.J.

Despite Knight’s homecoming, the Panthers’ struggles continued in a 73-61 loss to the Pirates. It was Pitt’s third consecutive road loss. Knight shot 3 of 14 and scored 11 points, continuing his poor play of late.

Knight has several Seton Hall connections. His father graduated from Seton Hall, and his mother still works there. Knight played with Pirates’ junior guard Marcus Toney-El at Seton Hall Prep. Knight also played against junior guard Andre Barrett in high school.

‘I’m sure coming home is special for him,’ Seton Hall coach Louis Orr said. ‘He’s a warrior and he plays to win.’

[b]This and that[/b]Boston College’s Troy Bell picks up Big East Player-of-the-Week honors. The senior guard scored 33 points in an 80-69 win Feb. 12 over Providence and 34 more in a 76-65 win Saturday over Miami. Against Providence, Bell became the Eagles’ all-time leading scorer, with 2,369 points. … For the second straight week, and seventh time this season, Carmelo Anthony picks up Big East Rookie honors. The Syracuse forward averaged 27.5 points and 10 rebounds in a 75-61 loss Feb. 10 at Connecticut and an 82-80 win Saturday over Notre Dame.

Published on February 17, 2003 at 12:00 pm