Francis is Soaring with Terps
6/21/1999 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
January 26, 1999
By C. Jemal Horton
Washington Post Staff Writer
Hopes and expectations were heaped upon Steve Francis's shoulders long before he played a game for the University of Maryland men's basketball team. Fans expected the junior college transfer from Takoma Park to immediately lift an already-talented team to greater heights and help establish the Terrapins as a new national power.
He has accomplished that after just 20 games, and many now expect the 6-foot-3 junior to leave after one season at Maryland and head for the NBA.
Despite a recent string of relatively subpar outings, Francis has amazed crowds and NBA scouts with his unselfish play, high-flying dunks and defensive skills. He has been listed as a candidate for the John Wooden Award, which goes to the nation's top player. And on Sunday, ESPN reported that Francis already has told people at Maryland that he will leave after the season.
Francis vehemently denied the report after fourth-ranked Maryland beat Clemson, 81-79, on Sunday. But he knows most people will be surprised if he returns for his senior season.
"I think people would be shocked if I came back, just because of all the speculation before the season, and how things are now," said Francis, who briefly flirted with making himself eligible for the NBA draft after his sophomore season at Allegany (Md.) Community College. "But honestly, it's the personnel that would bring me back. We've got a lot of people coming back next year, so it wouldn't hurt me to stay here another year and finish."
Some NBA scouts and general managers have said Francis could be among the top players selected in June's draft. But Maryland Coach Gary Williams said Francis could use another season of major-college basketball before trying to take on the NBA.
And Francis is aware that he needs to improve. Taped on the inside of his locker at Cole Field House are several copies of a headline the reads, "Extra Film Sessions Help Carrawell Shut Down Francis"; it came from a story about how Duke's Chris Carrawell helped hold Francis to 3-of-14 shooting in the Blue Devils' 82-64 victory in College Park on Jan. 3. Francis vows things will be different when the teams meet again Feb. 3.
"I shot myself into a coma that game, so it's definitely motivation for me," said Francis, who is averaging 16.2 points per game on nearly 52 percent shooting. "I've been working real hard since that game. If somebody wants to write that [Carrawell] shut me down, that's okay. I still don't feel I was shut down; I just missed a lot of shots that game. That's going to motivate me, because if something like that ever happens again, I'll know what to do."
Although he gained lots of attention early in the season - television commentator Dick Vitale proclaimed him the best player in America shortly after Francis had 24 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals in a 62-60 victory over then-No. 5 Stanford - Francis's first run through the Atlantic Coast Conference hasn't been as impressive.
He had only 11 points in that loss to Duke as the 6-foot-6 Carrawell used a physical style of defense against Francis. Four days later, Virginia emulated that tactic, and Francis had to leave that game in pain on two occasions en route to scoring 14 points.
He came back with a 9-for-9 shooting performance and 22 points against North Carolina State, then totaled 22 points in his next two games combined as North Carolina and Georgia Tech forced him into 7-for-22 shooting. North Carolina's 6-2, 202-pound guard Ronald Curry, the football team's starting quarterback, banged against Francis almost any time Francis didn't have the ball.
"It's been tough," Francis, who scored 18 points Sunday against Clemson, said of ACC play. "When too many people come after me, it's hard. Now, I've just got to learn to respond better. I've got to be physical. It's all about how well I take it. If I want to be a jerk about it and just try to take myself out of it, that's going to hurt me and hurt my team. Sometimes you've got to sacrifice a lot [of shots] when teams are going to come after you like that."
Francis has been an unselfish player, sometimes to a fault. While far from shy about showcasing his abilities by collecting steals and soaring for dunks, he appeared reluctant to take over in half-court offensive situations early in the season. Although that has since changed, as his team-leading average of 11.3 shots per game attests, Williams has applauded Francis's willingness to share the ball and the spotlight.
"The thing with Steve is he really cares about winning," Williams said. "He really cares about being a part of the team. And he says that. What Steve did was come in and play really good defense, and that showed the other guys he wanted to win. He was trying to fit in, and he has. [But] I still am {concerned] with how he's handled the attention he's getting."
Wherever the Terrapins play, Francis has been the focus. Opposing crowds have cheered or jeered him, and out-of-town media outlets have requested to speak with him so much that Williams began to limit the number of telephone interviews Francis conducted. And Francis's teammates, who call him by his inexplicable childhood nickname "Wink," have been impressed with his humility.
"The thing about Steve is that he's still the same as a person," senior guard Terrell Stokes said. "He's funny, always laughing and joking around. He brings a lot of energy and excitement to the team on the court. It changed the look of this team. But he's also a crazy guy."
Francis is serious on the court, though. He always seems in a hurry, whether on defense or offense, and he doesn't mind engaging in trash-talking when challenged. "If you don't bring it, there's no need to talk," he likes to say. Occasionally, he lets out a primal scream when he lands a particularly dynamic dunk, and he often barks out instructions to his teammates.
"I won't say that I'm a captain, but I think that I am in a leadership role because of my position on the team," Francis said. "I think I'm the most verbal guy on the team now. At first, I wasn't, but now I'm into it. I hate to lose, so I'll say anything to anybody at any time."
Although Francis wears jersey number 23, he swears he doesn't do so because it is the number the recently retired Michael Jordan made famous. But Francis recently contradicted that by scribbling "MJ #23" on each shoe he wears during games.
"I think [Jordan] was just definitely waiting for me to graduate from here and have Chicago draft me so I can wear '23' up there," Francis joked recently. "I hated to see him retire. A lot of guys want the chance to play against the best. If I could have the chance to play against him, that would be something I could tell my kids or my grandkids. But hopefully he'll see me play one day. I'll just talk to him then."
It is quite possible Francis will be dealing with Jordan's former team next season. The slight change in his perspective on being a college senior intimates as much.
"Me and Coach will sit down at the end of the year, he'll talk to me and tell me what he feels and we'll take it from there," Francis said matter-of-factly. "But right now, if I had to choose, I'd come back to Maryland."
