Indiana tried to get involved with Matthew Cleveland when he was a high school prospect but it didn’t go anywhere.
Will a new staff and different connections help this time around with the Florida State transfer?
IU assistant coach Yasir Rosemond was on staff at Alabama when Cleveland visited that program as a high school recruiting target during the 2018-19 season. And like Rosemond, Cleveland is from Atlanta, where the IU assistant has deep ties, including with the Atlanta Celtics AAU program where Cleveland played.
Along with Indiana, Michigan, Kansas, North Carolina, Miami, Kansas State, and Kentucky have been some of the more prominent schools mentioned in the pursuit of Cleveland.
A slashing wing, the 6-foot-7 and 200-pound Cleveland is a good fit for what Indiana needs when it comes to the three remaining openings on the roster.
As a sophomore this season, Cleveland averaged 13.8 points to lead the Seminoles. His 7.4 rebounds per game were second on the team in 30 contests, all starts. His defensive rebounding rate of 21.6 percent was No. 144 in the nation — an impressive number for a wing player.
Cleveland shot 44.5 percent from the field overall, 35 percent from three (on 60 attempts), and 69 percent from the free throw line. His three-point shooting improved substantially from 17.6 percent as a freshman.
As a freshman in Tallahassee, Cleveland was second on the team with 11.5 points and third with 4.6 rebounds in 2021-22. He was named the 2022 ACC Sixth Man of the Year.
Cleveland graduated from Atlanta’s Pace Academy in 2021. There he averaged 22.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.0 steals as a senior and was named Second-Team All-American by MaxPreps in 2021.
Both of Cleveland’s parents graduated from Georgia Tech. Out of high school he chose FSU over fellow finalists Kansas, Michigan, NC State and Stanford. Michigan was likely the number two choice the first time around, for whatever that’s worth. He was a 5-star prospect, ranked No. 25 by the 247Sports Composite.
Cleveland has two years of eligibility remaining.
For a complete recap of Indiana and Big Ten offseason roster activity and prospects, GO HERE:
IU basketball/Big Ten roster tracker: departures, additions and prospects (updated 6/9)
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