" ▁as ▁a ▁child . ▁After ▁his ▁mother ▁( Br enda ) ▁died ▁of ▁cancer ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁his ▁grand m other ▁became ▁a ▁parent ▁figure ▁to ▁him . ▁He ▁stopped ▁playing ▁basketball ▁after ▁his ▁mother ▁died . ▁His ▁father ▁served ▁ 2 0 ▁years ▁in ▁federal ▁prison ▁for ▁bank ▁rob ber y . ▁Francis ▁later ▁described ▁his ▁step father , ▁a ▁garbage ▁collect or , ▁as ▁his ▁best ▁friend . ▁As ▁a ▁youth , ▁Francis ▁received ▁food ▁st amps ▁and ▁lived ▁in ▁an ▁a partment ▁with ▁ 1 8 ▁people . ▁ ▁Francis ▁began ▁working ▁for ▁drug ▁deal ers ▁at ▁ten ▁years ▁old ▁and ▁began ▁s elling ▁crack ▁c oca ine ▁on ▁the ▁street ▁as ▁a ▁te en ager ▁during ▁the ▁American ▁crack ▁ep ide mic . ▁He ▁attended ▁six ▁high ▁schools ▁and ▁played ▁in ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁two ▁high ▁school ▁basketball ▁games . ▁He ▁dropped ▁out ▁of ▁school ▁at ▁ 1 8 ▁years ▁old ▁after ▁his ▁mother ▁died . ▁Francis ▁completed ▁his ▁G ED ▁after ▁receiving ▁an ▁offer ▁to ▁play ▁college ▁basketball ▁for ▁San ▁Jac into ▁College , ▁whose ▁coach es ▁had ▁noticed ▁him ▁at ▁an ▁Am ateur ▁Athlet ic ▁Union ▁tournament . ▁ ▁Francis ▁attended ▁San ▁Jac into ▁College ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 – 9 7 , ▁and ▁the ▁Al leg any ▁College ▁of ▁Maryland ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 – 9 8 . ▁Francis ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁player ▁to ▁take ▁two ▁un be aten ▁teams ▁into ▁the ▁National ▁Junior ▁College ▁Tournament .