BRIEFLY.

Byline: Staff and Wire Services

Suspect says he did not shoot Francis

A man accused in the shooting death of USC basketball player Ryan Francis says police have arrested the wrong person, his defense attorney says.

DeAnthony Ford, 19, is being held without bond in the May 13 shooting of Francis, who was a USC point guard. The shooting occurred at an intersection about 3 a.m. in Baton Rouge, La.

Ford's attorney, Dele Adebamiji, said Friday that he talked to his client and that Ford claimed his innocence.

``He said they got the wrong guy and he's ready to prove they got the wrong guy,'' Adebamiji said. ``He said he wasn't at the scene at all when all of this happened.''

In an affidavit, police contend that two of the three people riding in the car with Francis viewed a police lineup and identified Ford as the man who fired the fatal shots. Francis was riding in the back seat of the car when he was killed.

--Mike Johnson has returned to the Cal State Northridge men's basketball team as an assistant coach. Johnson was an assistant coach at CSUN for nine years before assistant jobs at UC Irvine and USC. He was an assistant under coach Bobby Braswell for five years.

Former CSUN assistants Joel Sobotka and Danny Sprinkle left for other jobs and graduate assistant Mike Scott will not return.

-- Jill Painter

--Andrea Stinson became the first Charlotte Sting player to have her number retired when her No. 32 unfolded from the rafters at Bobcats Arena at halftime of the season opener against the expansion Chicago Sky.

FOOTBALL: Ricky Williams likely will play for the Toronto Argonauts this season if the Dolphins' rights to the suspended running back are legally protected, a source said.

The Dolphins are seeking an agreement that would terminate Williams' contract with the Argonauts after one season, ensuring his return upon completion of the Canadian Football League season in November without legal challenge. One issue is the standard option year on all CFL contracts.

According to Kevin McDonald, director of football operations for the CFL, any player entering his option year is free to sign with an NFL team from Jan. 1-Feb. 15 without clearing waivers. If a player doesn't sign, he must clear waivers before being released by the CFL.

Lawyers from the two teams are currently drafting legal documents, which must be approved by Williams and finalized by the CFL and the NFL. If the documents are approved and the Dolphins give Williams permission to negotiate with Toronto, it is expected that he would play one year for an estimated $300,000, according a source.

Williams, who is under a one-year suspension for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy, is still under contract to the Dolphins through the 2008 season.

TENNIS: Martina Hingis rallied to beat Venus Williams 0-6, 6-3, 6-3 and reach the Italian Open final in Rome. The Swiss player will face Dinara Safina, who beat fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.

HORSE RACING: Northern Soldier posted his third straight win as he beat Remembering Star by three-quarters of length in the $150,000 feature race at Hollywood Park.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1) LeBRON JAMES

(2) ELGIN BAYLOR

(3) DANNY ALMONTE

Box:

(1) sunday punch

BY TOM HOFFARTH

(2) FANTASY BASEBALL

- Bryan Fowler