Nearly 500 children are expected to attend an after-school basketball camp in Chennai, India, over the next two weeks, and most have likely never heard of Varun Ram. To Maryland’s fan base, Ram has become a lovable fan-favorite, a fiery reserve point guard who hears the home crowd howl his name every time he checks into a game. He ascended to rock-star status after making a game-clinching defensive play in the NCAA Tournament earlier this year, the most significant moment of his college career.
But Ram will perhaps make a far more important contribution on the court later this week, when he travels to Chennai and again introduces himself as a volunteer counselor to the children of the Crossover Basketball and Scholars Academy, an annual summer camp that aims to use basketball as a catalyst for change and opportunity in the communities of India.