NCAA Basketball: Top 10 players to wear jersey No. 25 in 2023-24 season
By Joey Loose
9. Zach Cleveland (Liberty)
A native of central Illinois, Cleveland found himself a home on the east coast, landing at Liberty two seasons ago. He played decently well off the bench as a freshman for the Flames, but took a step forward and asserted his role this past season. The sophomore forward took on a starting role and helped Liberty transition from the A-Sun to the CUSA.
Cleveland’s sophomore season saw him put up 11.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, becoming quite the stat stuffer for the Flames. This Liberty squad played decently well in their transition, with Cleveland helping them grab 4th place in the new-look CUSA. Additionally, he rated as one of the league’s most efficient players, nabbing Second Team All-CUSA honors as one of the leaders in rebounds, assists, blocks, and shooting percentage.
Among his notable performances early in the season, Cleveland dropped 21 points in a nice win over Vermont in the title game of the Myrtle Beach Invitational. He played decent well in rough losses against Alabama and Florida Atlantic and later scored 23 points against Western Kentucky early in league play. As mentioned, Cleveland helped lead the Flames on a pretty successful transition into their new league, adding a few more 20-point outings, including a 22-point, 8-rebounds, and 7-assists against New Mexico State.