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Richie Cornwall, who played point guard at Syracuse from 1965 to 1968, died Tuesday at age 74. He’s had pancreatic cancer since August. 

Cornwall, who earned the nickname “The Little General” at SU, played with Dave Bing and Jim Boeheim. He started every game his junior and senior seasons and was one of the best free-throw shooters in program history.

He is survived by his wife, brother and sister, two children, three granddaughters and three grandsons. His daughter, Penny Tantala, confirmed his passing to The Daily Orange. 

“In my mind, his biggest legacy is family,” Tantala said. “His commitment to family, and just how he lived life. His motto was ‘We’re going to have fun. No matter what it is, we’re going to make it fun.’ That’s something that I’ve always followed in my own life.” 

“He didn’t miss a game,” Tantala added. “He didn’t miss a show. He didn’t miss anything.”

When Tantala was growing up, she spent seven or eight summers in the Poconos Mountains at her dad’s basketball camp with Bing and UNLV coach Howie Landa. Tanala said Bing, “a huge member of the family,” called to express his condolences. 

Cornwall averaged 14.7 points per game during his junior season and 11.2 as a senior. His 86.1% career free-throw percentage was the gold standard at Syracuse for 38 years until Gerry McNamara broke it in 2006. 

Richie Cornwall played point guard at Syracuse from 1965-68. Daily Orange archives

After Syracuse, Cornwall played in the Eastern Basketball League for several years. He won the 1969 Rookie of the Year award for the Binghamton Flyers, according to Syracuse.com. Tantala remembers going to Eastern League games as a kid and responding to hecklers who were frustrated at Cornwall for scoring against their team. 

“Richie was one of the nicest guys I ever met,’’ former Syracuse player Jim Lee told Syracuse.com. “We always made a point to get to know the guys that played before us. Then I got the chance to know him better when I played against him in the Eastern League. He was quick as can be, he was strong and he could shoot. He was tough to guard. What a competitor.” 

Cornwall brought his family to the grand opening of the Carrier Dome in 1980 and to the first game after SU changed the name of the hardwood to Jim Boeheim Court in 2002. In 2011, the Penndel, Pennsylvania native was inducted into the Bucks County Sports Hall of Fame.

Richie Cornwall’s granddaughter plays basketball at Villanova. He started a sports tradition in the family. Courtesy of Penny Tantala

Later in life, Cornwall taught his grandchildren how to play basketball the right way — “Do your best and always try your hardest. Always go full-out. Don’t take shortcuts.” He started a sports tradition in the family. One of his grandsons is a senior in high school hoping to play college ball, Tantala’s niece plays basketball at Villanova, and her daughter plays college soccer. 

The family hopes to hold a funeral later this week, either on Thursday or Friday, Tantala said.

Published on February 2, 2021 at 2:25 pm

Contact Danny: dremerma@syr.edu | @DannyEmerman