Florida State Transfer Matthew Cleveland Commits to Miami

The Miami Hurricanes landed their first transfer portal player this offseason on Sunday in former Florida State guard Matthew Cleveland, who has two seasons of collegiate eligibility remaining.

The 6-foot-7 rising junior chose UM over finalists Auburn and Missouri. Cleveland visited all three schools throughout late April, with the Hurricanes receiving the first of these visits.

“We are excited to welcome Matthew and his family to the Hurricane basketball program. He is an accomplished, experienced, versatile individual who has already proven he can excel at a high level in the ACC,” Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga said. “Matthew not only possesses the talent, athleticism and basketball IQ we look for in a player, but his style of play fits our program extremely well. He is committed to winning and we feel he can make a major impact to help us do just that.”

A former top-25 recruit in the 2021 recruiting class, according to the On3 Sports Industry Rankings, Cleveland chose the Seminoles over Miami, Michigan, Kansas, Alabama and other high-major programs.

In his freshman campaign at Florida State, Cleveland averaged 11.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game and was named the ACC Sixth Man of the Year.

Cleveland averaged a team-high 13.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game as a sophomore. He also improved his 3-point percentage from 17.6 to 35 and his free throw percentage from 55.5 to 69. 

One of his most notable performances from this season was against the Hurricanes in late February, as Cleveland scored 20 points, including a game-winning, buzzer-beating shot, to lead the Seminoles to an upset win over his new team. He also scored a career-high 23 points and snagged 13 rebounds in a loss to St. John’s, which was part of an eight-game double-double streak.

Cleveland joins class of 2023 signees Michael Nwoko and Kyshawn George as Miami’s third newcomer to the team. The trio will join returnees Wooga Poplar and Bensley Joseph, along with NBA Draft early entries Nijel Pack and Norchad Omier, should they return to UM. The deadline for Pack and Omier to remove their names from draft consideration is May 31.