CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Chuck Richards remembered the way he shot free throws. He fixed his eyes on the front of the rim and bounced the ball three times. Richards, a former Syracuse center from 1963-65, bent at the waist — his legs always shoulder-width apart — and would inhale and exhale, before picking up his dribble.

Then the twist: He lowered the ball to his knees and swung up with both hands, underhand.

Tuesday morning at his suburban home in Charlotte, Richards demonstrated the form built over at least 100 free throws per day. In his career, he made more free throws than field goals. For two seasons, Richards started at center for the Orange, averaging 18.8 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. At 6-foot-9, he developed a reputation as one of SU’s first true centers, dominating pick-and-roll situations with SU legend Dave Bing.

But Richards he became equally as known for something else: an underhand free-throw stroke that enabled him to make 75.9 percent of his career free throws at Syracuse. Richards, now 77, looked back to his two seasons in central New York, when he met his wife, Carol, and played alongside Jim Boeheim. After a brief professional career, he spent nearly three decades as a special agent in the FBI, investigating cases and counseling top athletes.

At the ACC tournament Wednesday night, he’ll attend Syracuse’s (19-12, 10-8 Atlantic Coast) matchup against Pittsburgh at the Spectrum Center, a short drive from his home.

“When I go, I still keep my orange uniform on underneath in case Jimmy (Boeheim) needs me,” Richards joked. “I think I could still give him 10 and 10.”

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At 6-foot-6 out of high school, he arrived at West Point in 1960 as the tallest player ever to represent a service school in the United States, according to Sports Illustrated. His shoulders were narrow and his arms long. Every day, he jumped rope to sharpen his reflexes. When he realized his basketball days could extend past the college level, he considered transferring. Syracuse, a budding program near his hometown, seemed to make sense. He finished up his last year at West Point, and enrolled at SU in the fall of 1963.

A soft, smooth jump shot and several post moves made Richards an immediate impact player. The beneficiary of Bing’s ball-handling and shooting skills, he rolled toward the basket after setting screens and found open space inside. Defenders often doubled Bing, leaving Richards open. Richards’ combination of scoring and rebounding helped him become a team captain.

In September 1963, Richards said, he first saw an underclassman during a team pickup game at Archbold Gymnasium. They played five-on-five games before official practices started later in the semester, and they rotated between games. A tall, skinny player with glasses who’d just been promoted from walk-on to scholarship guard walked from the locker room onto the court.

“What?” Richards remembers thinking. “He wants to play with us?”

The player was Boeheim.

Alexandra Moreo | Senior Staff Photographer

During a brief pro career, when the NBA minimum salary was $7,500, Richards decided the money wasn’t enough to keep playing. He went to the FBI Academy in July 1968 and became a special agent, relocating to Charlotte in 1970.

In 1984 or 1985, Richards said, he was part of one of his most memorable missions: a 10-man FBI unit that advised pro and college athletes on how to stay out of trouble. He advised ACC schools, discussed bribery, gambling and drugs with athletes and he met with the New York Yankees several times, including one spring training when Hall of Famer Yogi Berra managed the team.

“In the FBI, one day I did bank robberies, the next day I did civil rights violations and stolen cars,” Richards said. “I couldn’t rebound or score points anymore, but I could put people in jail.”

All these years later, he hasn’t forgotten Syracuse — grabbing snacks at the Varsity on South Crouse Avenue and playing at Manley Field House, mostly — or his Poland, New York hometown. A piece of the Carrier Dome court sits in his living room, alongside a photograph of himself and Bing. His FBI badge hangs on the wall and a Dome replica sits on a bookshelf.

He said watching Syracuse on Wednesday night will rekindle memories of his days as a young center, when he played alongside the man still on the SU sideline.

“I loved Syracuse,” Richards said. “Playing with Bing and Jimmy (Boeheim) is something that’ll always stay with me.”

Published on March 13, 2019 at 6:22 pm

Contact Matthew: mguti100@syr.edu | @MatthewGut21