Ryan Wittman

File:012308-TC-Twolves003-RandyWittman.jpg.]]

Wittman was born on October 26, 1987, in Atlanta, Georgia.{{Cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AT&p_theme=at&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB7C2F628E2238B&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Cox cool to availability of Butler

|work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|publisher=NewsBank|page=D9|date=October 28, 1987|accessdate=August 4, 2010}} He is the son of Kathy and Randy Wittman and he has one sister, Lauren. Randy Wittman was formerly the head coach of the Washington Wizards and was previously head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers (1999–2001) and Minnesota Timberwolves (2007–2008). The elder Wittman was a player on the 1980–81 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team which won a championship under Bob Knight. Drafted 22nd overall in the 1983 NBA draft, Wittman played for NBA teams Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings, and Indiana Pacers for nine seasons.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/coachfile/randy_wittman/index.html|title=NBA.com Randy Wittman|work=NBA|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|accessdate=August 4, 2010}}

Ryan was born when his father was a member of the Atlanta Hawks, but grew up in Eden Prairie, Minnesota and occasionally played pick-up games with Kevin Garnett at the Target Center.{{Cite web |title=2009–10 Men's Basketball Roster – Ryan Wittman – #20 |url=http://www.cornellbigred.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=11705 |accessdate=August 4, 2010 |work=Cornell Big Red |publisher=Cornell University}}{{Cite news|first=Pete|last=Thamel |author-link=Pete Thamel |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/sports/ncaabasketball/18cornell.html?pagewanted=all|title=48 Hours on the Big Red Bus|work=The New York Times|date=February 18, 2008|accessdate=August 4, 2010}} Wittman attended Eden Prairie High School, where he posted an average of 11.5 points per game in his junior year. He was named one of the preseason Top 30 players in Minnesota for the Class of 2006 by GopherIllustrated.com.{{Cite news|first=Ryan|last=James|url=http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/barrier_noentry.asp?ReturnTo=&sid=&script=content.asp&cid=473536&fid=&tid=&mid=&rid=|title=Minnesota Pre-Season Top 30 For the Class of 2006|work=GopherIllustrated.com|publisher=Rivals.com|date=October 31, 2005|accessdate=August 5, 2010}}

In July 2005, Wittman played for the AAU team Minnesota Select. The team was 5–1 in the Las Vegas Classic, an AAU playoff tournament. He led Select scorers with 15 points in a quarterfinal loss to the Houston Hoops, 59–53. Their season record was 27–14.{{Cite news|first=Chris|last=Monter|url=http://minnesota.scout.com/2/417393.html|title=Minnesota Select Finishes 5–1 in Las Vegas Classic|work=GoldenSports.net|publisher=Scout.com|date=July 31, 2005|accessdate=August 16, 2010}}

As a senior, his points per game average exploded to 20.5, and he hit 50 percent of his shots from three-point range and 84 percent from the foul line. One of the highlights of that season was upsetting Braham High School on December 30, 2005, who had a 65-game unbeaten streak snapped by the 80–67 loss to the Eagles. Wittman scored 30 points in that contest, including five-of-six from beyond the arc.{{Cite news|title=Eden Prairie hands Braham first loss|url=http://www.isanticountynews.com/2005/december/30brboysbasketball12.31.html|work=Isanti County News|date=December 30, 2005|accessdate=August 5, 2010}} After the season was over, Wittman was one of the five finalists for Minnesota Mr. Basketball and was listed as the sixth best Minnesota high school player by GopherIllustrated.com. In addition to being selected onto the First Team All Metro, he was a First Team All-State selection by the Timberwolves and a Second Team All-State selection by the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

He was recruited by Air Force, Bradley, Cornell, Eastern Kentucky, and Indiana.{{Cite web|url=http://rivals.yahoo.com/basketballrecruiting/basketball/recruiting/player-Ryan-Wittman-40563;_ylt=Atd1QZEAUrg1dJM71_8CSCXSO5B4|title=Ryan Wittman|work=Rivals.com|publisher=Yahoo! Sports|accessdate=August 4, 2010}} Cornell, which had recruited Wittman since his junior year in high school,{{Cite news|first=Pete |last=Thamel |title=At Cornell, a Player Stands Out by Blending In |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/sports/ncaabasketball/27cornell.html |work=The New York Times |date=February 26, 2009 |accessdate=August 4, 2010 }} was unable to offer him an athletic scholarship due to Ivy League rules.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ivyleaguesports.com/whatisivy/index.asp |title=What is the Ivy League? |work=Ivy League Sports |publisher=Ivy League |accessdate=August 4, 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090727080149/http://www.ivyleaguesports.com/whatisivy/index.asp |archivedate=July 27, 2009 }} Nonetheless, Wittman inked his letter of intent to the Big Red on December 31, 2005.

{{College athlete recruit start|40=no|collapse=no|year=2006}}

{{College athlete recruit entry

| recruit = Ryan Wittman

| position = Small forward

| hometown = Eden Prairie, Minnesota

| highschool = Eden Prairie (MN)

| feet = 6

| inches = 6

| weight = 190

| 40 =

| commitdate = 31 December 2005

| scout stars =

| rivals stars =

| espn grade =

}}

{{College athlete recruit end

| 40 =

| year = 2006

| rivals ref title = Cornell Basketball Commitments

| scout ref title = 2006 Cornell Basketball Commits

| espn ref title = ESPN

| rivals school = cornell

| scout s = 172

| espn schoolid = 172

| scout overall = N/A

| rivals overall = N/A

| accessdate = August 4, 2010

| bball = yes

}}

In Wittman's first collegiate game, he broke the Cornell record for most points in a freshman collegiate opener with 18 points, also finishing with three rebounds and two assists. That game, a 64–61 road win against Northwestern, was Cornell's first victory against a Big Ten school in 39 years.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ivyleaguesports.com/article.asp?intID=5596&method=text|archive-url=https://archive.today/20070813001726/http://www.ivyleaguesports.com/article.asp?intID=5596&method=text|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 13, 2007|title=Ivy League Weekly Release Volume 1, November 20, 2006|work=Ivy League Sports|publisher=Ivy League|date=November 20, 2006|accessdate=August 17, 2010}} At Cornell, Wittman was a member of the Quill and Dagger society. As of 2024, he holds the record for the most three-point field goals in men's Ivy League history.{{Cite web |title=Men's Ivy League Career Leaders and Records for 3-Point Field Goals |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/ivy/men/leaders/fg3-player-career.html |access-date=2024-07-24 |website=College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}

He played in four games for the Celtics in the Orlando Summer League and then three games for the New York Knicks in the NBA Summer League.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/summerleague2010/players/sl_ryan_wittman/index.html|title=Ryan Wittman #20 Forward Celtics|accessdate=August 17, 2010|work=NBA|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC}}

In the 2010 season, he played six months in Italy for the Fulgor Libertas Forlì,{{Cite web|url=http://www.sportando.net/ita/italia/legadue/13154/e__ryan_wittman_il_secondo_americano_di_forli_.html|title= È Ryan Wittman il secondo americano di Forlì! |publisher=sportando.net|accessdate=August 25, 2010|language=italian}} then he went in D-League at the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.{{Cite web|url=http://www.aroundfortwayne.com/blog/?p=16750|title=Mad Ants Acquire Ryan Wittman|publisher=aroundfortwayne.com|accessdate=February 1, 2011}}

In the 2011 season he played for the Zastal Zielona Góra.{{Cite web|url=http://www.zastalbasket.pl/NEWS/Ryan-Wittman-sylwetka|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130416144725/http://www.zastalbasket.pl/NEWS/Ryan-Wittman-sylwetka|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 16, 2013|title=Ryan Wittman – sylwetka|publisher=zastalbasket.pl|accessdate=August 24, 2011|language=polish}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.bceagles.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/ryan_wittman_867070.html Boston College coaching bio]
• [https://www.basketball-reference.com/nbdl/players/w/wittmry01d.html D-League statistics]
• [http://ivybbn.com/?tag=ryan-wittman Ryan Wittman at Ivy League Basketball News] – Ryan Wittman tag at unofficial news site featuring video archives & news links

{{Ivy League Men's Basketball Player of the Year navbox}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wittman, Ryan}}

Category:1987 births

Category:Living people

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Italy

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Poland

Category:American men's basketball players

Category:Zastal Zielona Góra players

Category:Basketball players from Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:Cornell Big Red men's basketball players

Category:Fort Wayne Mad Ants players

Category:Fulgor Libertas Forlì players

Category:Sportspeople from Eden Prairie, Minnesota

Category:Small forwards

Category:Basketball players from Hennepin County, Minnesota