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The first national championship was on the women's side, with NYU freshman and RS alumna Caitlin Kenny sharing the national stage with an NYU team that now boasts two consecutive national championships, a 65-game winning streak, and a #1 ranking.
"Caitlin has been a Rising Star since she could walk," said Paul Savramis. "Her mother, Sue Kenny, a former St. John's University player, coaches our national Nike EYBL team with Jill Cook, a former USA Olympics coach."
Paul Savramis usually can never say enough about his girls' teams, but this time it's Caitlin Kenny doing all the talking.
On the men's side, Savramis points to Paul Jordan and Tristan Davis playing for Trinity College, which secured the team's first-ever national championship win against top-ranked NYU. Adding to the madness for Savramis was that NYU coach David Klatzky played for Rising Stars!
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Paul Savramis said that both Jordan and Davis chose Trinity over Division I opportunities for the education program it offered, in addition to the athletic side, and both boys couldn't be happier.
March Madness has always been a very special time for both Savramis and Rising Stars. Savramis recalls that last year, two Rising Stars alumni took center stage in the Final Four. "That was a big deal for our kids," said Paul Savramis. "Seeing players that they knew on the national stage made watching the games more exciting and extra special."
Savramis also points to Joakim Noah on the Rising Stars Athletic Complex wall and to the Championship Jersey presented to him from back-to-back championships at Florida.
That jersey is one of many from RS alumni who have been to the dance.
"NCAA Championships have been a part of Rising Stars history for 30 years," said Paul Savramis, "but two stand out for me with an extra special meaning."
The first was the 1985 national championship Villanova team.
Savramis recalled how special that team was for him and how, on the 20th anniversary of that win, Villanova coach Rollie Massimino brought his entire team to the New York Athletic Club to help celebrate the Rising Stars annual Gala.
Paul Savramis likes to emphasize that basketball is more than just a game and has a greater meaning than the number of wins or losses a team has.
His focus remains on grassroots community programs and teaching the game the right way to his K-3 program.
For Paul Savramis and Rising Stars, what's more important than a national championship is any lesson you can learn, winning or losing, from the game. For Savramis, one such lesson came with the 2001 championship win by Duke over Arizona and from consensus All-American Jay Williams. The game ball from that game, signed by both teams and given to Savramis, sits in the Rising Stars office, and when asked why that one win warranted a special description, Savramis is quick to reply.
"That ball was given by Rising Stars alumnus and ambassador Jay Williams, along with a lesson for a future generation." After winning the national championship that year, Jay was informed he was going to be the #1 draft pick in the lottery if he left.
Jay and his family placed a greater value on his education and returned to Duke to graduate and get his degree. It's a decision Jay Williams never regrets and still talks about to Rising Stars kids today. It's also a lesson that reflects the mission of Rising Stars.
