* Career Statistics
* Career Highs
* Career Game-By-Game Stats: 2009-10 (senior); 2008-09 (junior); 2007-08 (sophomore); 2006-07 (freshman)
• Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American (2009-10)
• Ivy League Player of the Year (2009-10)
• Three-time NABC All-District selection (2007-08, 2008-09 & 2009-10)
• Two-time USBWA All-District selection (2007-08 & 2009-10)
• Three-time unanimous first-team All-Ivy selection (2007-08, 2008-09 & 2009-10)
• Second-team All-Ivy selection (2006-07)
• 2006-07 Ivy League Rookie of the Year
• Eight-time Ivy League Player of the Week
• Six-time Ivy League Rookie of the Week
One of the top players in college basketball, Wittman is one of the all-time great 3-point shooters in college basketball history. A tough competitor with a high basketball IQ, Wittman is one of the Ancient Eight’s all-time leading scorers and the leader in 3-point field goals. An efficient scorer who can also get into the lane and finish around the hoop, the 6-7 forward is a good team defender and an excellent passer who has become a tremendous defensive rebounder. He provides great leadership on and off the floor, and is willing to take, and make, the big shot.
As a senior
Wittman became the third Cornelian to earn Ivy League Player of the Year honors, doing so unanimously, and was picked to the first team by each of the Ivy coaches for the third straight season. The USBWA first-team all-district pick and Associated Press honorable mention All-American averaged 17.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists while setting an Ivy League record with his 109 3-point field goals. He shot 47 percent from the field, 43 percent from beyond the arc and 83 percent from the line while chipping in career highs of 36 steals and 13 blocked shots. The six-time Ivy League Player of the Week scored in double figures in each of his last 32 contests and in 33 of the team’s 34 games. The MVP of the Legends Classic Regional was also an all-tournament pick at the MSG Holiday Festival. Wittman has posted 20 or more points in 12 contests this season (Cornell 10-2 in those games).The school’s career scoring leader (2,028 points) became the Ivy League's fifth 2,000 point scorer with his 24-point effort in the NCAA tournament win over Wisconsin. He already holds school and Ivy records for 3-pointers in a season (109 in 2009-10) and career (377) and was named to the collegeinsider.com’s Mid-Major All-Decade team. He has had some of his biggest moments in the biggest games, including scoring seven points in the final 2:14 to seal the 48-45 win at Princeton, hitting a 35-footer at the buzzer in overtime to lift Cornell into the MSG Holiday Festival against Davidson, or scoring 34 points at La Salle to overcome the loss of two starters to injury. Wittman has averaged 22.0 points and 4.0 rebounds while making 17-of-25 shots from the floor (68 percent) and 7-of-11 from beyond the arc (64 percent) in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament.
As a junior
For the second year in a row, Wittman was a unanimous selection to the All-Ivy first-team and was a first-team all-district pick by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), becoming the first Big Red player to earn a pair of all-district citations in a career. He led Cornell and ranked second in the Ivy League in scoring (18.5 ppg.), while chipping in 3.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.9 steals and a 1.5:1 assist-turnover ratio in 30 starts for the 21-10 Big Red. His shooting numbers increased once Ivy play started, knocking down 48 percent of his shots overall, including 45 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. Already the school's career leader in 3-point field goals (268), he enters his senior season second in Ivy League history. Wittman also ranks third on the school's career scoring list with 1,432 points, is first on the 3-point percentage list (.433) and also is in the top 10 in field goals made (fifth, 488) and attempted (eighth, 1,081), free-throw percentage (fourth, .851) and games started (sixth, 85). Wittman set the school's single-season scoring record with his 572 points, while his 97 3-pointers also broke his own record set in 2006-07. Wittman matched the school's single-game 3-point record with nine makes as part of a 33-point effort at Syracuse, part of his 30 double-figure scoring games in 2008-09. Wittman had 12 games with at least 20 points during the season, including averaging 23.0 points in two contests against Penn. He had 24 points, five rebounds and three assists at Harvard. He notched 18 points, four rebounds and three helpers vs. La Salle and notched 28 points at Indiana, surpassing the 1,000-point mark during the win. He also had 21 points at Minnesota and 25 points against both South Dakota and St. John's.
As a sophomore
Wittman was named to the NABC and USBWA All-District teams and was a unanimous first-team All-Ivy pick. The team’s leading scorer throughout the season, Wittman ranked fifth in the Ancient Eight (15.1 ppg.). He also ranked among the top 10 in several other categories, including 3-point field goals made (second, 2.79), 3-point field goal percentage (third, .459) and field goal percentage (sixth, .465). He also set a career-high in rebounding (4.2 rpg.). In league play, Wittman stepped up his game to average 16.4 ppg. (third) while shooting .491 overall (fifth) and .438 from beyond the arc (fifth). Additionally, he led the circuit in 3-pointers made per game (2.50). His free-throw percentage (fourth, .895) and defensive rebounding totals (ninth, 4.14) also ranked among the top 10 in conference action. An Ivy League Player of the Week pick once during the season, Wittman hit for double figures in 24 of the team’s 28 games and scored 20 or more points six times. Wittman led the team in scoring in 10 contests and was the leading rebounder in five games. He scored a career-high 25 points in a win over Penn at home and notched a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double in the win over Siena to establish a career rebounding high. He netted consecutive games of 23 points at Stony Brook and 22 points at Quinnipiac to collect road wins. His 78 3-pointers ranked fifth on the school’s season list.
As a freshman
Wittman was named 2006-07 Ivy league Rookie of the Year and was picked as a second-team All-Ivy selection after setting a school freshman scoring record and establishing a new Cornell record for 3-pointers in a season.The six-time Ivy League Rookie of the Week and and Collegehoops.net mid-major freshman All-American ranked fourth in the Ivy League in scoring (15.6 ppg.) and paced the circuit in 3-point field goals with a school record 93, 21 more than any other player in the league and fourth all-time in conference history. That total ranked 12th nationally. He also placed sixth in 3-point percentage (.431, 22nd in the country) and second in free throw percentage (.887). His 436 points set a freshman scoring record and was the 16th-highest total for any player in school history. A model of consistency, Wittman reached double figures in 25 of the team’s 28 games, with nine points in each of the other three contests. He opened his career with 18 points, three rebounds and two assists in his first collegiate start to help the Big Red top Northwestern on the road and ended the year with a career-best 24 points, including six 3-pointers, against Harvard.
At Eden Prairie HS
Wittman was one of five finalists for the Minnesota Mr. Basketball Award as a senior at Eden Prairie HS. He was named first-team all-state by the Minnesota Timberwolves and second-team all-state by the Pioneer Press. Wittman was also named to the all-metro first-team after averaging 20.3 points while shooting 50 percent from 3-point range and 84 percent from the free-throw line. He was named the sixth-best senior basketball player in the state of Minnesota by GopherIllustrated.com. As a junior, Wittman scored 11.5 points per game.
Personal
Ryan Scott Wittman is the son of Randy and Kathy Wittman and has a sister. His father was the Big Ten Player of the Year at Indiana in 1983 and was a member of the 1981 NCAA championship team. The former NBA guard has also been head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Wittman is enrolled in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
