Busting Brackets
Fansided

ACC Basketball: Each team’s best acquisition out of 2023 transfer portal

By Jerran Anderson

Jan 24, 2023; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles guard Matthew Cleveland (35) reacts in the second half against the Miami Hurricanes at Donald L. Tucker Center. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 24, 2023; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles guard Matthew Cleveland (35) reacts in the second half against the Miami Hurricanes at Donald L. Tucker Center. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 15
Next
Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /

Matthew Cleveland – 6’7 Forward/Wing – Miami Hurricanes

Matthew Cleveland moves from ACC school to another as he jumps ship from the Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee over to the Miami Hurricanes in Coral Gables. He’ll make his debut as a junior in 2023-24 sporting the orange/green as he looks to build on his two seasons with the Seminoles.

The former 2021-22 ACC Sixth Man of the Year posted 13.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg, and 1.8 apg while shooting 44.5 percent from the field and 35 percent from 3-point land this past season as the scoring leader for Florida State. The Seminoles’ lack of a true point guard really left them searching on offense in 2022-23. Their offense ranked 235th in scoring offense (69.3 ppg) and ultimately, the defense suffered as a result with a 332nd finish in scoring defense (76.2 ppg).

Cleveland knocked down a career-high 21 3-pointers as a full-time starter this past season. That’s not the only upside either, as he also generated a defensive rating of 110.4 as a presence on the defensive end of the floor. He ranked seventh in the ACC in defensive rebounds (181) and 10th in total rebounds (223) this past season. His injection as a 3-and-D budding wing-forward should certainly bring intrigue to Miami’s rotation.

He had a much better showing as a sophomore in 2022-23 with the Seminoles, finishing with 11 double-doubles including a 14-point, 16-rebound, 5-assist outing against Notre Dame in a 84-71 victory back in January. The potential is certainly there for him to make things happen on the wing and on the interior when the ball comes his way.

He’ll look to use his length and athleticism on the perimeter/wing area to fill the void that Jordan Miller’s departure leaves in the Hurricanes’ rotation. Though Miami returns six players from last season’s squad, just four return with a ton of experience.