Mathew Cleveland commits to Florida State
MARIETTA, Ga. (BVM)鈥� After putting up 32 points per game at an event in Atlanta, Georgia, five-star forward Mathew Cleveland began to garner attention from the college basketball 鈥渂lue bloods.鈥� But Cleveland wasn鈥檛 interested.听 听
鈥淚鈥檓 just big on loyalty, people that did it from the beginning,鈥� Cleveland said to
North Carolina and Kentucky both reached out to Cleveland in hopes of slipping into his late recruitment process and usually their reputation would earn them the opportunity.听 But Cleveland was already set on his top five schools.
鈥淚 know that those are two of the schools that most players wait to hear from,鈥� Cleveland said to . 鈥淭hey鈥檙e great programs, but I had put so much time into coming up with my list. I had built a connection with those coaches.鈥�
Now, Cleveland is officially a Florida State Seminole, after committing on July 22.听 And for a Florida State team fresh off a Sweet 16 appearance in last year’s NCAA Tournament, the expectations are high.
Cleveland has all the tools to make an immediate impact though.听 With his long 6-foot-6 frame and versatile skill set, he鈥檒l fit in just fine at FSU.听听
鈥淸He鈥檚 got] good length for a wing scorer,鈥� director of sports scoring Jerry Meyer said. 鈥淸He鈥檚] an explosive athlete with top-notch body control 鈥� who specializes in making tough shots and has great potential as a versatile defender.鈥�
It is these attributes that made Cleveland sixth-ranked small forward in the country.听 These attributes also helped Cleveland lead the Pace Academy Knights to back-to-back state championships his junior and senior years.听听
As a senior, Cleveland averaged 22.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game, according to . Those are impressive offensive numbers, but Cleveland says that he prides himself on the defensive end just as much.
鈥淸My goal is to] just playing gritty on the defensive end and letting it translate to the offensive end,鈥� Cleveland said to .听
It鈥檚 that type of mentality that will earn him minutes on an FSU team that looks to return to the Sweet 16 this upcoming season.
