Memorable Notre Dame basketball postman Torin Francis announces retirement
Sometimes maligned and often injured, renowned Irish center Torin Francis on Monday announced his retirement from basketball after a 16-year professional career overseas.
Francis shared his decision via Instagram.
The 6-11, 260-pound center recently completed his seventh season with La Union de Formosa of the Argentine Basketball League.
In part, Francis posted: “Thank you God for blessing me with these talents. Thank you for my family and friends who supported me through the good times and bad times. Thank you to all the amazing fans who showed love in over 10 countries. This is not the end, but only the end of this chapter as I continue this beautiful journey of life.”
And while Francis never reached NBA aspirations, his long pro career still took him to Greece, Israel, Germany, Turkey, Belgium and Italy, just to name a few.
In a 2020 story for BlueandGold.com, Francis explained to reporter/writer @andrewmentock that there was no regret or bitterness about not fulfilling his NBA dream.
“I didn’t get to play in the NBA, but I have all these other experiences that have been amazing,” Francis told Mentock. “I guess it just wasn’t meant for me to play in the NBA, but I still had a great career and a long professional career.”
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Back in the day
Francis arrived at Notre Dame in the summer of 2002 as a five-star recruit and a McDonald’s All-American.
Rated a top-five center out of Tabor Academy near Boston, Francis became a Day 1 starter for Mike Brey.
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ln a text message to BlueandGold.com, Brey celebrated Francis for his approach to life and his longevity on the court.
“What endurance to play as long as Torin did,” Brey said, “a great family man and a fabulous ambassador for ND and our program.”
As a freshman, Francis started all 34 games, and averaged 11.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots per contest.
That season, Notre Dame reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1987.
Unfortunately for Francis, nagging back injuries hindered the remainder of his college career.
Francis averaged 11.3 points and 8.6 rebounds in 113 career games at Notre Dame.
Francis went undrafted after college then hooked on with the Miami Heat in the Orlando Summer League.
A ho-hum performance there closed his NBA door, but it opened an opportunity for Francis to enjoy a rewarding and surprisingly lengthy pro career given his injury history at Notre Dame.
“I lived all throughout Europe. I visited many more countries. I still played in Argentina, and I speak Spanish fluently now,” Francis celebrated.
