Garcia Named to Basketball Times All-America Third Team

March 24, 2004

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Louisville forward Francisco Garcia has been named to the Basketball Times third team All-America squad, ranking the 6-7 sophomore forward among the nation's top 15 collegiate players.

A special player who makes others on the floor better, he led the Cardinals in scoring (16.4, 4th in Conference USA), assists (4.7, third in C-USA) and steals (1.9, fourth in C-USA). He also ranked among the league leaders in blocks (1.4, 8th), free throw percentage (.797, 9th) and assists-to-turnovers ratio (1.66, 10th).

Garcia scored in double figures on 22 occasions, producing 20 or more 10 times as a sophomore. In the last 14 years, only Reece Gaines' senior year assists average (5.0) was higher at U of L than Garcia's. He handed out a school-record 15 assists against Murray State this season, breaking a 27-year-old mark.

Garcia is on the final ballot of the top 20 candidates for the 2003-04 John R. Wooden Award and All-America team. He was among the 20 finalists for the Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year; the final 15 candidates for the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Player of the Year Award and the list of 16 finalists for the Adolph F. Rupp All-American team and Player of the Year. He earned all-region honors by the NABC and the USBWA this season and was a first-team All-Conference USA pick. Garcia was named to the C-USA All-Tournament team, the only player that did not play in the title game to be honored on the five-man team. He was an honorable mention All-America selction by the Associated Press.

Garcia helped the Cardinals to a 22-10 record (9-7 C-USA) and their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance. With 818 career points, Garcia is only the 15th player in Louisville history to score at least 800 points in their initial two years at U of L, and is the first since DeJuan Wheat (1995-97).

The complete team is listed below.

Basketball Times2003-04 All-America Team
First TeamF Josh Childress, StanfordF Luke Jackson, OregonC Emeka Okafor, ConnecticutG Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph'sG Delonte West, St. Joseph's
Second TeamF Ryan Gomes, ProvidenceF Lawrence Roberts, Mississippi StateC Rafael Araujo, Brigham YoungG Devin Harris, WisconsinG Rashad McCants, North Carolina
Third TeamF Francisco Garcia, LouisvilleF Curtis Withers, CharlotteC Shelden Williams, DukeG Julius Hodge, North Carolina StateG Blake Stepp, Gonzaga

University of Louisville Athletics

Garcia Named to Basketball Times All-America Third Team

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