Greg Francis
Encyclopedia
Greg Francis is the Head Coach of the University of Alberta
Golden Bears men's basketball team, where he replaced the legend Don Horwood, who manned the Bears bench for 26 seasons. Francis is also the Head Coach of the Canadian Junior Men’s National Team and formerly the Canadian Men’s Basketball National Development Coach.
Francis was a member of the Canadian National men's basketball team, that finished seventh in the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney, Australia and fourth at the 2003 Tournament of the Americas.
basketball team from 1994-1997 finishing his career with 1,570 points, ranking him fifth all-time at the school. He also holds the school record for most three-point baskets made in a career (230). During his legendary senior season he helped lead the Stags to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
title and the 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
.
He almost single-handedly upset the North Carolina
Tar Heels in the first round of the tournament scoring 26 points including eight three-pointers. Following the game, legendary North Carolina coach Dean Smith
said "I had to find Francis after the game but I couldn't shake his hand because it was so hot."
Fairfield recognized his accomplishments in 2003 when the school inducted Francis into its Athletic Hall of Fame.
for the Worthing Bears and made the UK All-Star Team during the 1997-98 season and the Chester Jets during the 1999-00 season.
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
Golden Bears men's basketball team, where he replaced the legend Don Horwood, who manned the Bears bench for 26 seasons. Francis is also the Head Coach of the Canadian Junior Men’s National Team and formerly the Canadian Men’s Basketball National Development Coach.
Francis was a member of the Canadian National men's basketball team, that finished seventh in the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney, Australia and fourth at the 2003 Tournament of the Americas.
Collegiate career
Francis played for the Fairfield UniversityFairfield University
Fairfield University is a private, co-educational undergraduate and master's level teaching-oriented university located in Fairfield, Connecticut, in the New England region of the United States. It was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1942, and today is one of 28 member institutions of the...
basketball team from 1994-1997 finishing his career with 1,570 points, ranking him fifth all-time at the school. He also holds the school record for most three-point baskets made in a career (230). During his legendary senior season he helped lead the Stags to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. MAAC teams compete in the NCAA's Division I. Most of the members are Catholic or formerly Catholic institutions; the only exception is the private but secular Rider...
title and the 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1997 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1997, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in Indianapolis, Indiana...
.
He almost single-handedly upset the North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
Tar Heels in the first round of the tournament scoring 26 points including eight three-pointers. Following the game, legendary North Carolina coach Dean Smith
Dean Smith
Dean Edwards Smith is a retired American head coach of men's college basketball. Originally from Emporia, Kansas, Smith has been called a “coaching legend” by the Basketball Hall of Fame. Smith is best known for his successful 36-year coaching tenure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel...
said "I had to find Francis after the game but I couldn't shake his hand because it was so hot."
Fairfield recognized his accomplishments in 2003 when the school inducted Francis into its Athletic Hall of Fame.
Professional career
Francis played professionally in the British Basketball LeagueBritish Basketball League
The British Basketball League, often abbreviated to the BBL, is the premier men's professional basketball league in the United Kingdom. The BBL runs two knockout competitions alongside the league championship; the BBL Cup and the BBL Trophy....
for the Worthing Bears and made the UK All-Star Team during the 1997-98 season and the Chester Jets during the 1999-00 season.