Tag: Matthew Cleveland

Auburn to receive visit from Vanderbilt’s leading scorer

Another big-name guard is considering Auburn for a new home.

As usual, Auburn basketball head coach [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] is going above and beyond in his efforts to bring in top talent from the transfer portal.

He is doing so on Friday as Nathan King of Auburn Undercover reports that Vanderbilt’s leading scorer from last season, [autotag]Tyrin Lawrence[/autotag], is taking an official visit to Auburn ($).

Lawrence is a rising senior guard from Monticello, Georgia, who signed with Vanderbilt as a member of the 2020 signing class. Auburn had amazing success recruiting in the Peach State during the 2020 cycle, as the state’s top-three recruits: [autotag]Walker Kessler[/autotag], [autotag]Sharife Cooper[/autotag], and [autotag]J.T. Thor[/autotag], all played for Auburn. [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag] was the state’s No. 11 prospect for the 2020 class.

Since arriving at Vanderbilt, Lawrence has played in 77 games and has an average of 8.1 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. He has a field goal percentage of 48% and shoots 73% from the free-throw stripe.

As a junior during the 2022-23 season, Lawrence led the Commodores in scoring by averaging 13.1 points per game. He turned in 24 games of double-figures and scored 20 or more points in six games. During Vanderbilt’s NIT run, Lawrence averaged 19 points and eight rebounds per game. During the first two games of the NIT, Lawrence had a 25-point game against Yale in round one and scored 24 points against Michigan in round two.

Auburn has added two transfers in [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag] from FIU and [autotag]Cheney Johnson[/autotag] from Alabama-Huntsville so far in this window and recently received a visit from [autotag]Matthew Cleveland[/autotag] of Florida State.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=702301474]

Matthew Cleveland is done with visits, sets commitment timeline

He visited his three finalists and is now set to make a decision.

[autotag]Matthew Cleveland[/autotag] wrapped up his official visit to Auburn and the former Florida State wing is done visiting schools and is now set to make his commitment.

The 6-foot-7 guard took official visits to Miami, Auburn, and Missouri and told Jeffrey Lee of On3 that he hopes to make his decision “within the next 2-3 weeks.”

The trip marked a return for him after he visited the Plains during his high school recruitment. The Alpharetta, Georgia native is older now and acknowledged that has changed his perspective.

“It was different because I’m older,” he told Lee. “My perspective on things has changed a little bit. I’m more mature now, so it’s different in that sense.”

One thing that has caught his attention is Auburn’s success with players from the Atlanta area, just like him.

Jabari Smith, Walker Kessler, Isaac Okoro, Chuma Okeke, and Sharife Cooper have all come through Auburn before jumping to the NBA.

Cleveland averaged a team-high 13.8 points and 7.4 rebounds last season. He shot 44.5% from the field and 35% from deep in 30 games.

[mm-video type=video id=01gyxkjf44t2dgs8ptd7 playlist_id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gyxkjf44t2dgs8ptd7/01gyxkjf44t2dgs8ptd7-411011a932177647cd0620b260e00360.jpg]

[lawrence-auto-related count=4 category=1365]

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15.

Auburn is a finalist for elite transfer Matthew Cleveland

The Tigers are competing with Missouri and Miami for the small forward.

The Tigers are a finalist for one of the top transfers in the country.

[autotag]Matthew Cleveland[/autotag], a former five-star recruit, announced a final three of Auburn, Missouri, and Miami, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

Cleveland is from Atlanta and spent two seasons at Florida State before entering the transfer portal and immediately becoming one of Auburn’s top targets. The 6-foot-7 wing averaged a team-high 3.8 points and 7.4 rebounds last season. He shot 44.5% from the field and 35% from deep in 30 games.

He was the No. 25 overall player and No. 7 small forward in the 247Sports Composite ranking for the 2021 recruiting class. Cleveland has not yet taken a visit to the Plains but is expected to before making a decision about his next school.

The Tigers have already landed two transfers in former FIU guard [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag] and former UAH forward [autotag]Chaney Johnson[/autotag]. Jones averaged 20.1 points per game last season while Johnson was the Gulf South Conference Player of the Year.

[mm-video type=video id=01gx4dmygqafba5m81bb playlist_id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gx4dmygqafba5m81bb/01gx4dmygqafba5m81bb-aa6c10e5a82b65b2debe916e714caf99.jpg]

[lawrence-auto-related count=4 category=1365]

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15.

Two transfer targets spurn Auburn for Oregon

The Tigers missed out on Devan Cambridge and Kario Oquendo.

The Auburn Tigers were able to land one of their top transfer targets in Chaney Johnson on Friday but two others spurned them for the West Coast.

[autotag]Devan Cambridge[/autotag] and [autotag]Kario Oquendo[/autotag] both announced that they would be transferring to Oregon Friday on social media.

Cambridge spent 2019-22 on the Plains before transferring to Arizona State last season to play with his brother. The 6-foot-6 guard averaged 9.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game for the Sun Devils. He then re-entered the transfer portal and was expected to take a visit to Auburn prior to his commitment.

Oquendo, a former Georgia Bulldog, averaged 12.7 points and 2.6 rebounds per game last season. He included Auburn in his top four on April 6 along with Oregon, Utah, and Nebraska.

The 6-foot-4 guard scored 52 points in three games against Auburn.

Auburn is still in the market for a 3 guard after landing Johnson and one of their top targets is former five-star [autotag]Matthew Cleveland[/autotag], who quickly emerged as one of the top players in the portal after spending two seasons at FSU. He averaged a team-high 13.8 points and 7.4 rebounds last season.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrT2TrbA9GE/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

[mm-video type=video id=01gx4dmygqafba5m81bb playlist_id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gx4dmygqafba5m81bb/01gx4dmygqafba5m81bb-aa6c10e5a82b65b2debe916e714caf99.jpg]

[lawrence-auto-related count=4 category=1365]

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15.

UNC a ‘team to monitor’ for FSU transfer Matthew Cleveland

The UNC basketball program is a labeled as a ‘team to monitor’ for FSU transfer wing Matthew Cleveland.

The UNC basketball program is actively pursuing an in-conference transfer and could be gaining some ground.

It was reported earlier this week that there was indeed mutual interest between the Tar Heels and Florida State transfer [autotag]Matthew Cleveland[/autotag].

Now, the Heels could be a team to ‘monitor’ even more moving forward, according to On3.com reporter Jamie Shaw.

“Things have been somewhat quiet around Cleveland’s recruitment. Sources say four schools to watch for in the former five-star prospect’s recruitment are Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, and Miami. I am told that visits should be happening soon, and I am hearing there is room for a fifth school to work its way in, but things could also stay here. Watch to see which visits are set, which are taken, and monitor the timeline.”

Cleveland averaged 13.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game for the Seminoles this past season and is a 12.7 point per game scorer in 59 career games.

He was a five-star prospect as part of the 2021 class and could be a terrific addition to the North Carolina perimeter. He has the ability to play as a small-ball 4 or a bigger wing. His versatility on both ends of the floor is very appealing.

North Carolina shot just 31.2 percent from three last season and one spot Cleveland wouldn’t help much is shooting. Despite shooting 35 percent from three last year, he’s just a career 28.7 percent shooter from the perimeter on 1.6 attempts per game.

This is one to keep an eye on as a North Carolina fan.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Follow all of your favorite Carolina teams at Tar Heels Wire and Panthers Wire!

Texas hoops stifles panic meter with positive transfer portal news

The ‘Horns are in serious contention for big time portal players.

It’s been a wild last few days on the Forty Acres. The suspense surprisingly isn’t coming from Texas football. Continue reading “Texas hoops stifles panic meter with positive transfer portal news”

Auburn reaches out to former 5-star wing Matthew Cleveland

He led FSU in points and rebounding last season.

Auburn basketball has already landed one elite transfer and the Tigers are showing no sign of slowing down.

The Tigers are one of over a dozen schools that have reached out to [autotag]Matthew Cleveland[/autotag] since he entered the transfer portal on Tuesday, according to On3’s Joe Tipton. The former five-star recruit signed with Florida State in 2021 and spent two seasons as a Seminole.

The 6-foot-7, 200-pounder averaged a team-high 13.8 points and 7.4 rebounds last season. He shot 44.5% from the field and 35% from deep in 30 games.

The Tigers have already landed one scorer in [autotag]Denver Jones[/autotag], but Jones is a shooting guard and Auburn needs a wing who can score and Cleveland could be the perfect answer.

With two years of experience in the ACC, he is a proven scorer who has two seasons of eligibility left.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4 category=1365]

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15.

Could Michigan basketball land another former five-star recruit?

Would be a HUGE get! #GoBlue

Michigan basketball continues to fill out its roster for next season.

The Wolverines have already landed three transfers. One of which is Caleb Love, a combo guard from North Carolina. Love is a former five-star prospect who has the ability to create his own shot while getting others involved.

Apparently, Juwan Howard is trying to find more scoring options via the transfer portal.

On Tuesday, a former five-star and a top-25 player out of the 2021 recruiting class entered the transfer portal. Junior Matthew Cleveland entered the portal after spending two seasons with Florida State.

Michigan was a finalist to land Matthew in 2021, but he signed with the ‘Noles.

Joe Tipton tweeted that Michigan, along with several other schools, has already reached out to the 6-foot-7 wing.

Cleveland led FSU in scoring last season with 13.8 points per game. He also brought down 7.4 rebounds and tallied 1.8 assists per game in 2022-23. The former five-star has the ability to knock down 3s as well after shooting 35% from deep this past season.

There is a possibility Hunter Dickinson could come back to Michigan, and the Wolverines were trying to get guard Jaelin Llewellyn back for another year, but coach Howard is looking at all of his options for next season.

We will continue to update you when something new appears on the basketball front.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01gq2fszf7mxxc88k4 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Former five-star signee enters the transfer portal

Matthew Cleveland signed with Florida State in 2021 as a five-star small forward out of Georgia.

The college basketball world has yet another addition to the transfer portal. Florida State Seminoles shooting guard Matthew Cleveland entered the portal late on Tuesday night.

He hasn’t been rated just yet but one should expect that he will be high on the list.

“It’s a bombshell”, Issac Trotter of 247Sports wrote. “Suitors will be lining up for a big-time transfer like Matthew Cleveland.”

This is becoming more and more common with top players opting to enter the transfer portal to chase other opportunities. Simply put, this has become the new norm for us.

Cleveland signed with the Florida State Seminoles in the class of 2021 as a five-star shooting guard out of Georgia. He was the No. 3 player in the state and No. 7 at his position.

The 6-foot-6-inch shooting guard has averaged 12.7 points and 6.0 rebounds over the last two seasons. This past season Cleveland averaged 13.8 points and 7.4 rebounds while shooting 44.5% from the field and 35% from beyond the arc. He had a career high 1.8 assists per game as well.

Coming out of high school, Cleveland had an impressive offer list that included Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Kansas, and Purdue among others. In all, he had a reported 29 scholarship offers.

He should be highly coveted by plenty of programs looking to re-tool their rosters for the next basketball season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=49]

[mm-video type=video id=01gxpfjk2zh9jbvvmnbw playlist_id=01gq2fszf7mxxc88k4 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gxpfjk2zh9jbvvmnbw/01gxpfjk2zh9jbvvmnbw-beaf7bdbeeefac667b8681399428d69f.jpg]

Aggregate NBA mock draft 2.0: Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith battle for No. 1

In order to help us get a better sense of where all of the projected top prospects in the class stand as of right now, we compiled mock drafts from ESPN, NBADraft.net, CBS Sports, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, Basketball News and USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win.

Please note that these rankings reflect the composite score to get a feel for consensus, not our own opinion.

Since our last update, the players who have improved the most spots are Ismael Kamagate (Paris), Moussa Diabate (Michigan), Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona), Hugo Besson (New Zealand), Efe Abogidi (Washington State),  Iverson Molinar (Mississippi State), Justin Lewis (Marquette), Max Christie (Michigan State), EJ Liddell (Ohio State), and Ochai Agbaji (Kansas).

The most notable prospects making their debut on our rankings are Trevor Keels (Duke), Bryce McGowens (Nebraska), MarJon Beauchamp (G League Ignite), Keon Ellis (Alabama), Christian Koloko (Arizona), Wendell Moore (Duke), Blake Wesley (Notre Dame),  Josh Minott (Memphis), Zach Edey (Purdue), and Johnny Davis (Wisconsin).

Some of the top prospects who did not make the cut this time included Hunter Sallis (Gonzaga), Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (Tennesse), Kobe Bufkin (Michigan), Mouhamed Gueye (Washington State), Jahvon Quinerly (Albama), Adam Flagler (Baylor), Jaylin Williams (Auburn), Matthieu Gauzin (Le Mans), Isaiah Wong (Miami), Marcus Williams (Texas A&M), and Tyson Etienne (Wichita State).

Otherwise, you can learn the latest updates on every single prospect who has been included in recent mock drafts by scrolling below.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report