Francis makes impact for North Carolina
It’s been a long haul for Jeremiah Francis, who missed his final two seasons at Pickerington Central because of a knee injury that required surgery in December 2017 and again in August 2018. At times, Francis wondered if he would ever play again.
But the North Carolina freshman point guard’s hard work, determination and patience finally paid off in the form of his first start Monday against Yale. He responded with 10 points, five assists and four rebounds to spark a 70-67 win. Five of his points came in the final 19.2 seconds.
With leading scorer Cole Anthony out because of injury, Francis has given the Tar Heels a spark with his sublime playmaking and finishing ability. Before his first start, the 6-foot, 210-pound Francis had fine backto-back performances against Gonzaga and UCLA, prompting praise from coach Roy Williams.
“I love Jeremiah for the toughness that he’s already shown,” Williams told the Daily Tar Heel. “The toughness on the basketball court is nothing compared to the toughness he’s already shown with how hard he’s worked.”
Jerry Francis, a former Wehrle and Ohio State standout and Pickerington Central coach, told Inside Carolina that his son was put through the wringer physically and mentally.
“What a journey,” he said. “Mentally, I think he’s 100 percent back. His confidence is growing each and every time he’s on the floor. Physically, there have been no setbacks at all within the structure of his knee. I think he can get back to the old Jeremiah very soon.”
Jerry Francis said that North Carolina never wavered in sticking with his son, nor were redshirt options discussed.
Meanwhile, Tar Heels junior Sterling Manley, also of Pickerington Central, underwent seasonending surgery on Dec. 12 to repair cartilage in his left knee.
Two other prominent players from central Ohio also saw their seasons derailed by injury.
Harvard senior forward Seth Towns of Northland is slated to undergo season-ending surgery on his left knee. His last action came in the 2017-18 season when he was named Ivy
League Player of the Year. Although Towns has two years of eligibility remaining, he is on track to graduate in May and will evaluate his options then.
Minnesota State sophomore guard Tre’ Baumgarder of Africentric also was ruled out for the season with a knee injury.
Elsewhere on the basketball floor:
• Eastmoor Academy graduate Taevion Kinsey is averaging 14.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and a team-best 4.7 assists for Marshall (6-7). The 6-5 sophomore has become a fan favorite for his spectacular dunks.
• Earning his first start for Dayton (11-2) in place of injured teammate Jalen Crutcher, Pickerington Central product Ibi Watson responded with a career-high 30 points and five rebounds in a win over Grambling State. He went 8 of 12 from the field and 10 of 10 at the free throw line. The performance earned Watson Atlantic-10 Player of the Week. Watson is averaging 11.3 points.
• Sophomore guard Dane Goodwin of Upper Arlington has carved out a valuable role as sixth man for Notre Dame (9-4). He is averaging 12.0 points and leads the Fighting Irish in three-point shooting (42.9%) and free throw shooting (95.7).
• Senior guard Amani Burke of Eastmoor Academy and junior forward Gabby Burris of Liberty Union have played key roles for Ohio’s women’s team (7-4). Burke is averaging 14.4 points, including 30 points against Butler, 26 versus Texas Christian and 23 in a win over Ohio State. Burris is contributing 10.3 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting a team-best 51.8 percent from the field.
• Jordan Horston of Africentric has started 11 games for Tennessee’s women (10-2), averaging 10 points, 6.1 rebounds and a team-best 4.7 assists as a freshman.
• Former Ohio teammates Stevie Taylor of Gahanna and David Mckinley of Dublin Scioto have landed college men’s coaching jobs. After serving as a grad assistant at Boston College, Taylor was hired as an assistant at Langston University in Oklahoma. Mckinley was promoted from director of basketball operations to assistant coach at Chattanooga.