Christopher Scott Kramer (Born April 4, 1988
Huntington, IndianaHuntington, known as the "Lime City", is a small city in and the county seat of Huntington County, Indiana, United States. It is in Huntington Township and Union Township...
) is an American professional
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. He played collegiately with the
Purdue University BoilermakersThe Purdue Boilermakers basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the Big Ten Conference. Purdue basketball holds the record for most Big Ten Championships with 22, along with being the only program in the conference to boast winning records...
. Chris participated with the 2010
Milwaukee BucksThe Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
training camp and played in the
NBA Development LeagueThe NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
for the
Fort Wayne Mad AntsThe Fort Wayne Mad Ants are a team of the NBA Development League, located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum is the home venue for the team. The team is the first minor league basketball franchise to play in Fort Wayne since the Fort Wayne Fury...
in the 2010–11 season.
2002–2006
Kramer played varsity basketball,
baseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, and
footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
at
Huntington North High SchoolHuntington North High School is a large public secondary school serving all of Huntington County, Indiana. Enrollment is approximately 2,000 students. The school is operated by the Huntington County Community School Corporation and is located at 450 MacGahan Street in Huntington, Indiana...
, in
Huntington, IndianaHuntington, known as the "Lime City", is a small city in and the county seat of Huntington County, Indiana, United States. It is in Huntington Township and Union Township...
. Averaging 19.1 points, four assists, and three steals a game playing for coach Eric Foister, he led the Vikings to an 18–3 record as a Senior. He was selected as a member of the 2006 Indiana All-Star Team, along with current NBA players
Greg OdenGregory Wayne Oden, Jr. is an American basketball player at the center position. Oden is a member of the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA....
and
Mike Conley, Jr.Michael Alex "Mike" Conley, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association.Conley is the son of Olympic gold and silver medalist triple jumper Mike Conley, Sr...
. In football, he had a career total of 1,336 passing yards and 997 rushing yards at
quarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
.
2006–2007
Kramer attended Purdue University to play basketball under head coach,
Matt PainterMatt Painter is the current head coach of the Purdue Boilermakers basketball team.-Playing career:Matt Painter attended Delta High School in Muncie and played basketball for current basketball coach and former athletic director, Stan Daugherty...
. During his freshman season, Kramer set the school's freshman record for most
stealsIn basketball, a steal occurs when a defensive player legally causes a turnover by his positive, aggressive action. This can be done by deflecting and controlling, catching, or batting to a teammate a pass or dribble of an offensive player...
in a season, while leading the team with 64, shattering
Brian CardinalBrian Lee Cardinal , nicknamed "The Custodian" or "The Janitor", is an American professional basketball player. Prior to being drafted to the NBA, Cardinal played college basketball at Purdue University.-1991–1995:...
's prior record of 51. Kramer finished second in the conference in total steals on the season. Averaging 7.2 ppg and 2.9 rpg, he had a season high six steals twice against Wagner University and
Penn StateThe Penn State Nittany Lions basketball team is a NCAA Division I college basketball team representing the Pennsylvania State University. They are a member of the Big Ten Conference and play home games at the 15,261-seat Bryce Jordan Center, moving there from boisterous Rec Hall during the 1995–96...
. He helped lead the
BoilermakersThe Purdue Boilermakers basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the Big Ten Conference. Purdue basketball holds the record for most Big Ten Championships with 22, along with being the only program in the conference to boast winning records...
to an
NCAA TournamentThe 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 NCAA schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2006–07 basketball season...
appearance along with Seniors
David TeagueDavid Teague is an American professional basketball player. He played collegiately at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana in the NCAA and in high school at Pike High School in Indianapolis....
and current
NBAThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
player,
Carl LandryCarl Christopher Landry is an American professional basketball player who last played for the NBA's New Orleans Hornets. He played collegiate basketball for the Purdue Boilermakers from 2004 to 2007. The 6'9", 248 lb power forward is the older brother of Marcus Landry...
, where Purdue beat
ArizonaThe Arizona Wildcats basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of NCAA Division I. They are currently coached by Sean Miller.Arizona has a long and rich...
in the first round and lost to eventual/defending champs,
FloridaThe Florida Gators men's basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball. The Gators compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Southeastern Conference...
. He averaged 3.5 steals and 15 points in the two games. In the First Round game, Kramer fell to the floor on a play with the ball, where he made a shot off his knees. Finishing the season with a 22–12 record, he was named to the
Big TenThe Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
All-Defensive Team.
2007–2008
In his Sophomore season, averaging 6.8 ppg, he led the Boilers for the second season in a row in assists (95) and steals, averaging 2.3 per contest. He helped lead the baby boilers to a second straight
Second RoundThe 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2007–08 basketball season...
appearance, where they defeated
BaylorThe Baylor Bears basketball team represents Baylor University in Waco, Texas, in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Bears compete in the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games in Ferrell Center and is currently coached by Scott Drew....
in the first round and eventually lost to a senior-led Xavier and finished the season with a 25–9 record. He finished his sophomore season leading the conference in total steals with 67 take-aways, while recording the 9th most in school history with 139 in just two seasons. As a team captain, he was named
Third Team All-Big Ten and
Academic All-Big Ten, while being the
Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Purdue's first since Kenneth Lowe in 2004.
2008–2009
As a captain in his junior season, he shared the role with
Robbie HummelRobert John Hummel is an American college basketball player for Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana...
and fellow Junior, Keaton Grant. Kramer helped lead Purdue to an 11–2 pre-season finish. After sitting out for a foot injury in a road game at Penn State, and having an 0–2 start in conference play, Kramer helped lead the Boilers to an 11–7 conference record. On January 31, Kramer was incidently elbowed in the face by
MichiganThe Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Wolverines play home basketball games at the...
's
Manny HarrisCorperryale L'Adorable "Manny" Harris is a professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association. He is a former All-Big Ten Conference guard who played three seasons for the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team...
, ultimately breaking his nose in two places, which forced him to wear a face mask for the following six games. Along with fellow teammate
JaJuan JohnsonJaJuan Markeis Johnson is an American professional basketball player with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association. He played collegiate basketball at Purdue University. During his sophomore season, he was named a First-Team All-Big Ten selection. As a junior, he was named a...
, he was named to the
Big Ten-All Defensive Team, finishing short to
Michigan StateThe Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represents Michigan State University and competes in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I. The team currently plays at the Breslin Student Events Center...
's Travis Walton as defensive player of the year. Chris was as well named to consecutive
Academic All-Big Ten selections. He led his team to the
2009 NCAA TournamentThe first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT....
, along with Purdue's first
Sweet SixteenThe first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT....
appearance in 9 years, where they eventually fell to #1 seeded
UConnThe Connecticut Huskies is the name of the men's college basketball team representing the University of Connecticut, in Storrs, Connecticut, USA. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference...
. He wrapped up his junior season with the second most steals in school history with 214 career steals.
2009–2010
Kramer started his senior season with his third straight team captain role, becoming only the fourth to do so in school history, behind the likes of
Terry DischingerTerence Gilbert "Terry" Dischinger is a retired American basketball player in the NBA. He currently practices orthodontics.-High school career:...
(1960–62), Brian Walker (1979–81), and former assistant coach,
Cuonzo MartinCuonzo LaMar Martin is a retired American professional basketball player and is the current head coach of the University of Tennessee men's basketball team.-1986-1990:...
(1993–95). Against
ValparaisoValparaiso University, known colloquially as Valpo, is a regionally accredited private university located in the city of Valparaiso in the U.S. state of Indiana. Founded in 1859, it consists of five undergraduate colleges, a graduate school, a nursing school and a law school...
on December 9, 2009, he dished out a season high 7 assists. On March 3, 2010, Kramer scored a season high 18 points against in-state rival
IndianaThe Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Indiana University . The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the NCAA. The Hoosiers play on Branch McCracken Court at the Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana on the IU...
, shooting 7 of 8 from the floor in his last game at
Mackey ArenaMackey Arena is located in West Lafayette, Indiana. Part of the Purdue University campus, it is home to the university's basketball teams, and occasionally hosts home games for the volleyball and wrestling teams...
. Kramer recorded ten 3+ steal outings on the season (10–0), including four 4-steal performances. He led the Boilermakers to a 14–4 conference record and onto a Big Ten Conference title, its first in fourteen years. After the culmination of the regular season, Kramer was given his conference record fourth consecutive
Big Ten All-Defensive Team honor, while being named the
Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year for the second time, while also being a
Big Ten Honorable Mention and
Academic All-Big Ten for the third consecutive year. With Purdue receiving a 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Kramer helped lead the Boilers past heavily favored
SienaSiena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
in the NCAA First Round match up, where he scored 10 points and had 4 steals and onto consecutive Sweet Sixteens after beating
Texas A&MThe Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team represents Texas A&M University in NCAA Division I college basketball. The Aggies play home games at Reed Arena, a 12,500-capacity arena in College Station, Texas on the campus of Texas A&M University....
, where he tallied 17 points, 3 steals, and 7 rebounds before being held scoreless in his last collegiate game in a loss to
DukeThe Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
. Purdue went on to a 29–6 record in his senior year, which tied for the program's most wins in a single season. He finished the season with season-career highs with 228 points with a club-leading 58 percent from the floor. As a senior, Kramer was one of ten candidates for the
Lowe's Senior CLASS AwardThe Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award is an annual college athletic award in the NCAA Division I. Qualified competitors must be seniors who have remained within their NCAA Division I college for a four-year commitment and achieved excellence in one of nine sports.....
with
Notre DameThe Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. The program competes in the Big East Conference of NCAA Division I. The school holds two national championships in...
's
Luke HarangodyLuke Harangody is an American professional basketball player with the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA. Harangody completed his college career at the University of Notre Dame in 2010. He is the only men's player in the history of the Big East Conference to average 20 points and 10 rebounds...
,
West VirginiaThe West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team represents West Virginia University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. It is a member of the Big East Conference. West Virginia most recently reached the Final Four of the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, led by...
's
Da'Sean ButlerDa'Sean Butler is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs and was on assignment in the NBA D-League for the Austin Toros. In November 2011 he joined for trial period to Latvian Basketball League club Rīgas VEF...
,
DukeThe Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
's
Jon ScheyerJonathan James "Jon" Scheyer is an American-Israeli professional basketball player. He plays shooting guard for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Super League in that competition, the Adriatic League, and the Euroleague...
, and fellow Big Ten player, Raymar Morgan, of
Michigan StateThe Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represents Michigan State University and competes in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I. The team currently plays at the Breslin Student Events Center...
. He overwhelmingly won the fan vote, having more than 33 percent of total fan votes, but came up short to Da'Sean Butler. He wrapped up his career at Purdue being named a
First Team Senior All-American. During the 2010 Final Four weekend at
Lucas Oil StadiumLucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The stadium was built to...
, Kramer participated in the Senior Reeses/Hersheys All-Star Game.
Career notes
Kramer currently owns the school record for career steals per game, averaging 2.1 a contest. He became the first Big Ten player in 16 years to lead the league in steals two consecutive seasons (2008, 2009). On February 28, 2010 against Michigan State, Kramer recorded another school record with his 260th career steal, surpassing
Brian CardinalBrian Lee Cardinal , nicknamed "The Custodian" or "The Janitor", is an American professional basketball player. Prior to being drafted to the NBA, Cardinal played college basketball at Purdue University.-1991–1995:...
's mark of 259. He finished his career as a Boiler with a 274 steals, 850 points, 397 rebounds, and shooting 71 percent at the line. He placed second all-time in games played (133) behind Keaton Grant, third in starts (114), and fourth in minutes played (3,704). He graduated with a degree in Organizational Leadership & Supervision.
Indiana Pacers (summer league)
After by-passing his fifth year of eligibility to play Purdue Football, Chris joined the
2010 AirTran Airways Pro Summer LeagueThe NBA Summer League is a period during which NBA teams come together to try out different summer rosters instead of their regular season line-ups. Typically, there is a mix of rookies and some of the younger bench players to see how well some players work with others...
, made up of other undrafted/free agent players. He played for the
Indiana PacersThe Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
summer league team, where he played in only two games and averaged 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1.5 steals per game, while going 42.9 percent from the field.
Milwaukee Bucks (training camp)
After spending the summer with the
Indiana PacersThe Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
in the Orlando Pro Summer League, Kramer, an undrafted
free agentIn professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
, officially became part of the
Milwaukee BucksThe Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
training camp roster for the 2011 NBA season. He was cut on October 19.
Fort Wayne Mad Ants
After being cut by the Bucks, Kramer joined the
Fort Wayne Mad AntsThe Fort Wayne Mad Ants are a team of the NBA Development League, located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum is the home venue for the team. The team is the first minor league basketball franchise to play in Fort Wayne since the Fort Wayne Fury...
of the NBA D-League. On December 8, he was waived by the Mad Ants due to injury. He had played 5 games. On December 28, Kramer was re-signed by the Mad Ants. He took fellow injured player
Chris HunterChris Hunter is an American professional basketball player.Hunter played collegiately for the Michigan Wolverines of the University of Michigan as a power forward.-Pro career:...
's spot on the roster.
Puerto Rico (2011–present)
In the summer of 2011, Kramer signed with
Mets de GuaynaboThe Mets de Guaynabo are a BSN professional basketball team from Puerto Rico.The Mets began to play as basketball's original Cangrejeros de Santurce. Before the 1976 season, they moved to Guaynabo...
of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional.
External links