| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1950-10-19)October 19, 1950 (age 75) |
| Listed height | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) |
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Marlington (Alliance, Ohio) |
| College | Ohio State (1970–1973) |
| NBA draft | 1973: 4th round, 57th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Playing career | 1973–1976 |
| Position | Center |
| Number | 44 |
| Career history | |
| 1973–1976 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Luke Witte (born October 19, 1950)[citation needed] is an American formercollege andprofessionalbasketball player who is now achurch minister. He played at the collegiate level forOhio State University and professionally for theCleveland Cavaliers. It was during his time at Ohio State that he was severely injured in one of the more brutal on-court brawls in basketball history.
Witte was a standout player atMarlington High School inAlliance, Ohio, where he scored over 1500 points during his career. He was a 1st team Class AA All-Ohio selection after his senior season. He was joined on the 1st team by future Ohio State teammates, Allan Hornyak (Bellaire St. John's) and Dave Merchant (Marion Harding).
He went on to theOhio State University, where, as a sophomore, in1971 led the team inrebounds (331 for the season) and was all-Big Ten. The Ohio State team were Big Ten champions, and teamed with fellow Buckeye standoutsAllan Hornyak andJim Cleamons. The 1971 Ohio State team defeated Marquette in the NCAA Tournament Mid-East regional semifinal before losing to Western Kentucky.
Witte is best known for the incident at the Ohio State–Minnesota game, played atMinnesota on January 25, 1972. According to the Big Ten Conference's review of the game film, Witte appeared to elbow Minnesota guard Bobby Nix as the two teams headed to their locker rooms at halftime. During the second half, Ohio State led 50–44 with 36 seconds to go when Witte went for alayup but wasfouled hard. Immediately following the foul, Minnesota player Corky Taylor extended an arm to help Witte up, then kneed Witte in the groin and punched him in the head. While on the floor, he was also kicked and stomped by Minnesota playerRon Behagen, knocking him unconscious.
What followed was an extended brawl. Witte's teammate, Dave Merchant, attempted to come to his aid, but was struck in the face several times by GopherJim Brewer. Another Buckeye, Mark Wagar (currently the president of Empire BlueCross BlueShield in New York), was attacked from behind by Minnesota player—and futureMajor League BaseballHall of Famer—Dave Winfield, who landed four or five punches to Wagar's head.[1]
When order was restored, Minnesota Athletic DirectorPaul Giel announced the game was over and the Buckeyes were a 50–44 victor, prompting Minnesota fans to boo and throw objects as Witte was carried from the floor. Hospitalized for several days, including 24 hours inintensive care, Witte's injuries included 29 facial stitches and a scarredcornea. In all, three Ohio State players were taken to hospitals.
TheBig Ten Conference suspended Taylor and Behagen for the rest of the season. Ohio Statehead coachFred Taylor was angered that the universities (including his own), theNCAA, and the Big Ten Conference refused to pursue sanctions against the Minnesota program, and said later that his enthusiasm for the game was lost as a result; he retired early, in 1976.[2] The Minnesota coach,Bill Musselman, was blamed for fostering a thuggish Gopher atmosphere. Musselman denied that he ordered his team to play dirty or to initiate fights. Despite losing two of its key players, Minnesota went on to win the Big Ten championship with an 11–3 record.
Following the incident, the NCAA banned the practice of players performing dunks and slams during pre-game warm-ups when officials are not present. Witte chose not to pursue legal or any other avenue of retribution against his attackers. Instead, he has extended forgiveness and tried to achieve reconciliation.[3]
Witte was selected in the fourth round of the1973 NBA draft by theCleveland Cavaliers, who also had fellow Buckeyes Hornyak andJim Cleamons. Minnesota fight participant,Jim Brewer was on the team as well. Witte saw part-time action over three seasons; his 250-pound (110 kg) body spread over 7 feet (2.1 m) was not mobile enough for an NBA then stocked with very good centers. He still suffered from vision impairment as well.
Following his career in professional basketball, Luke Witte established his own sporting store in Alliance, Ohio which he operated for more than five years before becoming a minister. Luke Witte is now the Carolinas Division Director with Marketplace Chaplains inCharlotte, North Carolina.
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Source[4]
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973–74 | Cleveland | 57 | 12.8 | .432 | .742 | 4.0 | .7 | .1 | .4 | 4.5 |
| 1974-75 | Cleveland | 39 | 6.9 | .344 | .613 | 2.4 | .4 | .1 | .6 | 2.2 |
| 1975-76 | Cleveland | 22 | 4.5 | .344 | .600 | 1.7 | .2 | .0 | .0 | 1.4 |
| Career | 118 | 9.3 | .402 | .685 | 3.0 | .5 | .1 | .4 | 3.2 | |
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Cleveland | 7 | 4.0 | .545 | 1.000 | 1.3 | .6 | .0 | .0 | 2.3 |