Miami lands commitment from FSU’s Matthew Cleveland

The Miami Hurricanes basketball program landed a big one on Sunday afternoon, as former Florida State star Matthew Cleveland announced on his twitter account that he had picked the Canes over Auburn and Missouri. The school also announced the move shortly after.

Cleveland averaged 13.8 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game last season at FSU. He comes to UM with two years of eligibility remaining. He is 6’7” and I’ve seen him listed as both a guard and a forward. He honestly plays like both, as he’s capable of creating scoring opportunities both near the rim and from outside, as well as being a consistent and productive rebounder. In December 2022, he totaled eight straight double doubles, which is kind of ridiculous. Replacing lost scoring from the departures of Jordan Miller and Isaiah Wong while giving the Canes a quality rebounder checks two big boxes for what Miami needed to pick up this offseason.

Cleveland told ESPN the following regarding his decision to pick Miami:

He also noted how the success of other transfers in Coral Gables played a big part into his decision to pick the Canes.

You can check out his season highlights below. I would advise caution at the 8:50 mark, as he’s the one who sank the heave at the buzzer in FSU’s 85-84 comeback win over Miami in Coral Gables, undoubtedly the low point of an otherwise historic season for UM.

But hey, he’s one of us now, and the Canes went on to win the Midwest regional and earn a first-ever spot in the Final Four, so that shot and subsequent “U down” move are all water under the bridge now.

Welcome, Matthew, and go Canes!