RIPON, Wis. - Terry "Hawk" Cramer '81 is the only player in the 123-year history of Ripon's men's basketball program to be drafted into the National Basketball Association (NBA). Prior to that, he was a two-time First Team All-Conference guard for the Redmen, who had scored the most points in program history (1,503) at the time of his graduation. Inducted into Ripon's Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992, Cramer helped Ripon win a pair of Midwest Conference Championships, to go along with the first two NCAA Tournament appearances in program history.

"Ripon College is a family, and their basketball program is no different, but some players may not believe that until they experience it for themselves," Cramer said. "I graduated in 1981, but knew five guys from Ripon's 1949 basketball team, as well as several former players from each decade since then. Ripon truly is a family that spans decades."

One of the most prolific scorers in school history, Cramer still ranks eighth in career points, despite graduating 40 years ago without ever having the benefit of a 3-point line. He also ranks eighth in free throw percentage (.834), which was also a school record at the time, while graduating with school records for most points in a single game (47), highest single season free throw percentage (.859), and most assists in one season, all of which have since been broken.

As legendary Ripon basketball coach Doc Weiske '50 once said, "Terry earned his spurs as one of the finest basketball players Ripon College has ever had."

Weiske, who recruited Cramer to play for him at Ripon, had just as much of an influence on Cramer as Cramer had on those Ripon teams in the late 70s and early 80s.

"Doc Weiske came into my basketball life at the perfect time. I grew up having to lean on my basketball coaches for everything because my dad wasn't around. Most of them weren't up to the task because they either didn't get me or didn't see the talent," Cramer said. "Doc had it figured out right away. He was such a great influence on my life that it's hard to put into words. He was All-Everything in my book - a great coach and in the end an even better friend."

During his final three seasons at Ripon, Cramer scored nearly 1,400 points in 68 games for an average of 20.5 points per game. He played key roles on each of Coach Weiske's final two MWC Championships as Ripon's head coach, winning in 1978 and 1980.

"We were picked to finish last in the MWC prior to my freshman year, but surprisingly won our division and played in the MWC Championship Game against a great Knox College team. In the gym where we played that game, the scoreboard was above our bench, but because of an overhanging track, you had to step onto the court and look back in order to see it," Cramer recalled. "With about eight minutes left, I'm subbing out when Ripon play-by-play announcer Jack Arnold, who was sitting behind our bench, yells to Coach Weiske, 'Hey Doc, what's the score?' Doc stepped out on the court and looked back at the scoreboard, doing a double take with his mouth wide open. He looks at me, then to Jack and everyone on the bench and says, 'Holy crap! We're up by 21 points!' He had been coaching so hard and was so focused on every play that he never even thought about the score. It was a great moment and we won by 27 points to become the first Ripon men's basketball team to play in the NCAA Tournament."

The Redmen would lose that first NCAA Tournament game to eventual three-peat National Champion North Park University, while also losing in the NCAA Regional Consolation game. Two years later, in Weiske's final season with the team, the Redmen again lost to eventual National Champion North Park in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, but followed that with their first NCAA Tournament victory in program history, a 10-point win against Central (Iowa) in Weiske's final game as Head Coach.

A native of Mequon, Wis., Cramer never wanted his basketball career to end. He received the opportunity to extend that career professionally in the summer of 1981 when he was selected by the New York Knicks with the 155th overall pick in the seventh round of the NBA Draft. He was drafted ahead of future Major League Baseball Hall of Famer, Tony Gwynn.

"Even though my coach at the time (Bob Gillespie) had some contact with the Knicks, there were no guarantees, especially for a kid from a Division-III school," Cramer said. "Probably as all kids would do, whether you're the first pick in the draft or the last, you try to act as cool as can be, like it's no big deal. On the inside though, there were baby otters doing backflips and my heart was pounding out of my chest. To say it was a great moment in my life would be an obvious understatement, but it was also a great moment for Ripon - my coaches, teammates and the entire student body. We'll always have that experience together."

No one was more excited for Cramer than Coach Gillespie, who used his basketball contacts to play an important role in Cramer's dream becoming a reality.

"I was so happy for Terry when he was drafted by the Knicks and was able to play on their summer league team that year," Gillespie said. "At that point in his life, it was the greatest thing that could have happened to him."

The year he got drafted, ESPN was just two years old and the entire news cycle was digested much differently than it is today, with news not available simply by the touch of a screen. Because of that, Cramer didn't even know if or when his name had been called on draft night.

"I was working for the City of Mequon at the time, sharing an apartment with my brothers, one of which was in downtown Milwaukee at MECCA that day, where the Bucks were holding their draft operations. At the conclusion of the draft, my brother checked the board and didn't see my name, so he called and told me the bad news," Cramer recalled. "I moped around for a couple hours and played one-on-one against my other brother (who smoked me, because that's what older brothers do to younger brothers), when I got a call from an exuberant (former Ripon Athletic Trainer) Kent Timm, congratulating me. After what my brother had said to me, I didn't believe Kent, but he assured me that he'd seen it on that new cable sports station, ESPN."

Cramer's talent was being recognized, but as with a lot of things in life, it's not always what you know, but who you know.

"Coach Gillespie had a major impact on my life and because of that influence, other people have been impacted as well, so I owe him a huge debt of gratitude. All I wanted to do after college was continue to play basketball, preferably in the NBA. Coach Gillespie helped me get drafted and the Knicks gave me a shot, which is all I wanted," Cramer said. "Although I didn't make it in the NBA, I did get offers to play in Australia, Argentina and the UK. I think for Ripon, and for their basketball program in particular, that raised the bar as to what student-athletes could achieve. If a kid from Mequon and Ripon can make it, then why can't anyone?"

Cramer and his wife Brenda '82 currently reside in Cable, Wis. He is Head of International Trading at The Fig Group, and together, they manage the top-rated Solar index in the country.


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