« Men’s Basketball 2009-10

Chris Kramer

School
Purdue University
Position
Guard
Major
Organizational Leadership and Supervision
PPG
6.3
RPG
2.9
APG
2.3

Classroom

An organizational leadership and supervision major, Kramer boasts a 3.12 cumulative grade point average while managing the time commitments associated with playing basketball at a Big Ten institution.  Kramer’s work in the classroom also netted him Academic All-Big Ten honors in both 2008 and 2009.  His career interests outside of playing basketball lie in coaching basketball or becoming a sports agent.

Character

In the world of athletics, respect from your peers is often the highest compliment a competitor can receive.  With his combination of tenacity, confidence and unparalleled work ethic, Kramer earned that respect early in his collegiate career, as his Purdue teammates voted him a team captain in both his sophomore and junior seasons.  Kramer is regarded by his fellow teammates as the ultimate teammate.  Despite leading Purdue in assists in both his freshman and sophomore seasons, he volunteered to take on a more defensive role as a junior when the Boilers added playmaking point guard Lewis Jackson to the lineup.  In January 2009, Kramer’s toughness and dedication to the team were on full display, as he suffered a nasal fracture early in the second half of the Boilermakers’ home contest against Michigan, only to return within a matter of minutes and finish with five steals to propel Purdue to an emotional victory.  The summer and fall of 2009 have seen Kramer make a total commitment to self-improvement in order to benefit the team.  In an effort to improve his stamina at the end of games, the defensive stalwart lost 10 pounds of “bad weight” and focused on improving muscle distribution throughout his core.  He also volunteered to hold his individual workouts at the same time as a group of Purdue’s non-scholarship players in order to provide guidance and veteran leadership during sessions.

Community

In addition to his long history with the Boys and Girls Club, Kramer spent the fall of 2009 making twice-weekly visits to the Lafayette Southside Community Center.  At the center, Kramer donated his time to various causes in the Lafayette area, including child abuse prevention, youth development, the center’s food pantry and family support.  As part of Purdue’s annual participation in the Wooden Tradition, Kramer and his teammates also perform service with the Special Olympics in Indianapolis.

Competition

Widely regarded as a “warrior” on the court, Kramer has been one of the primary architects of the rejuvenation of Purdue basketball.  In the last three seasons, he has helped turn around a team that won just nine games the year before his arrival into a squad that has won at least 20 games in each of the last three seasons, captured the program’s first-ever Big Ten Tournament title, reached three straight NCAA Tournaments and advanced to the program’s first Sweet 16 in nearly a decade.  He has twice been recognized as an all-conference performer, garnering third-team All-Big Ten honors in 2008 and honorable mention accolades in 2009.  His credentials as one of the nation’s top defenders are backed up by his three selections to the Big Ten All-Defensive team in as many collegiate seasons, highlighted by a Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honor in 2008.  Heading into his senior season with the Boilermakers, Kramer holds the program record for steals per game (2.2) and ranks second on the career steals chart (214).