USC Point Guard Killed

[ScriptOhio]

Updated: May 13, 2006, 3:32 PM ET
Francis shot and killed in Baton Rouge


Associated Press





LOS ANGELES -- Southern California freshman point guard Ryan Francis was shot and killed early Saturday while riding in a car in Louisiana, where he was visiting his mother.

The 19-year-old Francis was killed about 3:30 a.m. in Baton Rouge, said Tim Tessalone, USC's director of sports information.

"We understand he was in a car and somebody shot into the car," Tessalone said.

No other details were immediately available.

Francis was USC's starting point guard and averaged more than seven points a game. He scored 22 points a game at Glen Oaks High School in Baton Rouge, leading his team to a 36-0 record and the state's 4-A championship in 2004-05. Francis was named the 2005 Louisiana Class 4-A Player of the Year.

"We're all devastated," said USC coach Tim Floyd. "We've lost a special young man who in his short time at USC made an impression that will last forever."

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2443805

 

[buckeye247]

Pray for him as his family. Hopefully it wasnt gang related.

 

[BB73]

Terrible news. My thoughts are with his family.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

Hopefully it wasnt gang related.

Does it matter? Tragic, however it happened...

 

[Bucklion]

Prayers to his family...very sad, and a terrible waste.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends....:(

 

[averagehomeboy]

I feel for the family.

I wonder what he was out doing at 330am?

 

[osustamm]

I wonder what he was out doing at 330am?

I was thinking the same thing... But then i realized all the times i was out at 3:30am when i was that age.

This type of stuff makes sports seem quite a bit smaller...

 

[Captain Hindsight]

I was thinking the same thing... But then i realized all the times i was out at 3:30am when i was that age.

This type of stuff makes sports seem quite a bit smaller...

Yeah dude, I definitely agree. It's terrible to see this happen to anyone, but especially to a young athlete that has such a great deal of potential.

 

[methomps]

Very tragic news. A tough loss, especially right before Mother's Day. Condolences to Ryan's family and friends.

Freshman point guard Ryan Francis was given the John Rudometkin Award, honoring the player who always gave 110 percent effort. Francis scored 7.1 points per game in his first season as a Trojan and ranked seventh in the Pac-10 in assists (111) and fifth in steals per game (1.57). His totals in assists and steals (47) both rank as the fourth most ever by a USC freshman.

 

[Folanator]

That sucks. The more this senseless stuff happens the more I think we should get rid of guns. Just stupid to waste a young life like that. :(

 

[scooter1369]

That sucks. The more this senseless stuff happens the more I think we should get rid of guns. Just stupid to waste a young life like that. :(

You can't get rid of guns. The ones being used for this crap are unregistered and nearly impossible to track down.

This is very sad news. Only a frosh.... My heart goes out to his family.

 

[ScriptOhio]

Good news, they arrested the shooter.

USC's Francis killed

Starting point guard shot to death in Louisiana

Posted: Saturday May

Starting point guard Ryan Francis averaged more than seven points a game last season.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Southern California freshman point guard Ryan Francis was shot and killed early Saturday while riding in a car in Louisiana, where he was visiting his mother.
The 19-year-old Francis was killed about 3:30 a.m. in Baton Rouge, said Tim Tessalone, USC's director of sports information.
Francis was among four passengers whose vehicle pulled up to a stoplight. The driver of another vehicle got out and opened fire, said Lt. Keith Bates of the Baton Rouge Police Department. The driver of the car Francis was in attempted to drive away but Francis, who was sitting in the back seat, was shot multiple times.
Bates said no one else in the vehicle was injured.
The shooter was identified as D'Anthony Norman Ford, police told The Advocate of Baton Rouge. Ford, 19, was arrested without incident Saturday, Bates told the newspaper, which also reported that Ford was booked on one count of first-degree murder.
Bates did not immediately return a call early Sunday seeking details of the arrest.
Francis was the starting point guard this past season for USC (17-13) and averaged more than seven points a game. He ranked seventh in the Pac-10 in assists (111) and fifth in steals (47).
Francis was a standout in high school. He scored 22 points a game at Glen Oaks High School in Baton Rouge, leading his team to a 36-0 record and the state's 4-A championship in 2004-05. Francis was named the 2005 Louisiana Class 4-A Player of the Year.
"We're all devastated," said USC coach Tim Floyd. "We've lost a special young man who in his short time at USC made an impression that will last forever."
Francis' teammates were stunned when they heard of his death Saturday morning.
"He was a tough player on the court and a really cool guy off of it," said sophomore Nick Young, the Trojans' leading scorer. "It hurts really deep to see something like that happen. We became really close. I'm really at a loss for words. He helped me out in so many ways. Not only on the court but off it as well."
Sophomore starter Gabe Pruitt added: "Ryan was a really good friend, teammate and person. We really got close in the short time he was here. He will truly be missed."
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/basketball/ncaa/05/13/francis.usc.ap/index.html

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Its great to hear they got the shooter, but what a tragic story. :(

 

[NJ-Buckeye]

regretably... I get no sense of relief catching the gunman... does nothing to resolve this... this kid had the world by the ass