Born in Brooklyn, New York, Men’s basketball standout Ricky Free left his mark in Morningside Heights. In just three seasons over 78 games, Free finished his career at Columbia with 1,214 points, which puts him 15th all-time in program history.
The three-time All-Ivy League selection also ranks in the program’s top five in career field goal percentage (55.2 percent - third) and rebounding (662). Free led the Lions in scoring and rebounds in all three seasons of his collegiate career from 1976-79.
In his sophomore year of 1976-77, Free benefited from a run-and-gun offense and led the squad, averaging 16.7 points. He helped Columbia to its first winning season in five years, highlighted by an upset of No. 19 Rutgers, where he scored 19 points in the road win.
His strong play helped the Lions to one of their best three-year stretches in program history, going a combined 48-30 overall and 29-13 in Ivy League play. Individually, Free was named to the All-Ivy League Team three times, including a pair of first-team selections in 1977 and 1978.
Following his career at Columbia, Free was selected by the New Jersey Nets in the seventh round of the NBA Draft. Free was inducted into the Boys & Girls High School Hall of Fame in Brooklyn in 2009. At the Boys High School, Free helped win a New York City PSAL title in one of the most competitive high school basketball leagues in the country at the time.
