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College basketball transfer portal: How ballyhooed ex-FSU star Matthew Cleveland fits with top suitors – 247Sports
Matthew Cleveland waited a month to enter the transfer portal, but Florida State’s leading scorer and rebounder quickly garnered a ton of interest from across the college basketball landscape. The 6-foot-7, 200-pound forward was a five-star recruit in the Class of 2021, and he filled up the box score last season with 13.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.6 stocks (blocks and steals).
Cleveland had an eight-game stretch in the middle of the season where he notched a double-double in every single contest. Cleveland also had a 20-point showing and a deep game-winner to knock off a Miami squad that won the ACC title and advanced to the Final Four.
Cleveland operated as Florida State’s point-forward who could clean the glass and lead the break, and the versatile wing guarded all five positions. Cleveland is one improved 3-point jumper away from being a sure-fire NBA prospect.
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Here is how Cleveland would fit with the schools that are in the mix:
Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh coach Jeff Capel III has a strong, recent track record with transfers that he could sell Cleveland. Plus, Pitt has to replace a lot of key contributors from a NCAA Tournament team. Pitt could have one of the longest teams in the country with Cleveland joining the Diaz Graham twins.
Kansas State: Jerome Tang could get very creative to utilize Cleveland’s playmaking knack alongside Cam Carter, David N’Guessan and Nae’Qwan Tomlin. Kansas State could get into some switch-everything defensive schemes very easily, too.
Wichita State: New Wichita State coach Paul Mills hopes to use the transfer portal to get the Shockers back on track in a hurry. Landing a talent like Cleveland would kickstart the Wichita State retool in a hurry. Cleveland would have every opportunity to be a star for a smart coach at a basketball-loving program.
Wake Forest: An offensive haven like Wake Forest where Cleveland could operate with an open lane and plenty of shooters? Yes, please. Wake Forest would have NBA scouts drooling if it could team up Cleveland with intriguing forward Bobi Klintman. Steve Forbes does the Lord’s work in the transfer portal, and Wake Forest could set up Cleveland for an All-ACC season.
Georgia Tech: Georgia Tech gets Cleveland even closer to his roots, and new Yellow Jackets coach Damon Stoudamire could sell Cleveland on forming a terrifying 1-2 punch with Florida transfer Kowacie Reeves.
Missouri: Missouri coach Dennis Gates helped Kobe Brown turn in an All-SEC campaign, and Cleveland could operate in a similar vein as a mismatch-hunting forward who can get to the rim at any time. Missouri will have a ton of shooting, and Gates had the Tigers playing at one of the fastest tempos in the country last season. Cleveland would buff up Missouri’s valid defensive concerns.
NC State: Cleveland’s game has a lot of similarities to Dereon Seabron who tore it up for Kevin Keatts in 2021-22 before bouncing to the NBA. Replacing stalwarts like Jarkel Joiner and Terquavion Smith will not be easy for NC State, but Butler transfer Jayden Taylor was a wise addition and Cleveland would be a grand slam.
Miami: Miami needs to find its Jordan Miller replacement. Cleveland fitting into that ‘Canes offense would be a no-brainer because of the pressure he can put on the rim and the shooting Miami seemingly always has. Nijel Pack, Wooga Poplar and Norchad Omier are elite teammates who would take some of the offensive load off Cleveland’s plate. Cleveland and Omier would be able to do some nasty things defensively together.
Texas A&M: Texas A&M has plenty of guards. It has a deep frontcourt rotation. But it needs more versatile wings who can be secondary playmakers and fit into Buzz Williams’ turnover-forcing defense. Cleveland does all that, and he’d get to the free throw line which is another thing Williams loves.
Indiana: Cleveland looks very different from some of the wings Indiana has rostered in the last few seasons. Cleveland’s fit alongside Malik Reneau, Kel’el Ware and Xavier Johnson would be an interesting dynamic, but Indiana certainly has an opening on the wing. But the shot-creation duties would largely rest in Johnson’s capable hands and Cleveland hasn’t proven to be a high-volume, catch-and-shoot specialist yet. IU would have to get creative to get the most out of Cleveland’s laundry-list of abilities.
Texas: Rodney Terry could have one of the most athletic teams in the country if he can sell Cleveland on joining a roster filled with Tyrese Hunter, Dillon Mitchell, Dylan Disu and two five-star freshmen. Playing Mitchell and Cleveland together could create some spacing concerns on the perimeter, but it’d be a phenomenal defensive pair who could go up against any wing in the country.
Arkansas: Big-time athlete who can get downhill and create but struggles to knock down a ton of 3s? Which recent Arkansas player does that sound like? Ricky Council IV. Cleveland isn’t as physically chiseled as Council, but he has those traits that caught Eric Musselman’s attention. But Cleveland likely only makes sense for Arkansas’ 2023-24 plans if Jordan Walsh opts to enter and stay in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Auburn: FIU transfer Denver Jones fills Auburn’s need for a bucket-getting lead guard, but Cleveland operating as a defensive stopper, secondary creator and mayhem-maker on the wing could be intriguing. Auburn’s staff deserves a ton of credit for turning Jabari Smith into the No. 3 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and Cleveland wants to be on that timeline, too.
Clemson: Hunter Tyson is off to pursue professional opportunities, and Clemson has a vacant starting role and tons of shots to fill. Pairing up Cleveland with P.J. Hall (if he returns) would be one of the best tandems in the ACC.
Michigan: Michigan’s roster is undergoing a facelift. Joey Baker, Jett Howard and Kobe Bufkin are out. Hunter Dickinson is in the transfer portal, although a return to Michigan is on the table. Caleb Love, Tray Jackson and Nimari Burnett are already in the mix. But Cleveland would offer a defensive weapon on the wing that Michigan just didn’t have enough of last year. He could fit in with or without Dickinson at the or even the 4 in some small-ball lineups.
Georgia: Mike White bringing a piece like Cleveland home would be an enormous splash and boon for the Georgia program. The Dawgs would make room for Cleveland to take over as the featured piece on both ends of the floor.
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