Matthew Cleveland Commits to Miami After FSU Transfer: 'I Was Their Main Priority'
Miami has recruited another top transfer.
Florida State's Matthew Cleveland, who committed to Miami on Sunday, told ESPN he committed after the Hurricanes made him their "main priority."
"I picked Miami because they made it known from the beginning that I was their main priority," Cleveland said. "They reached out to me as soon as my name was in the portal and they stayed super consistent with me. I also picked them because of the way they play. Having played them four times now, I can really see myself thrive in that system."
"And probably the biggest reason is that all the transfers that they've gotten have been All-ACC selections and they've won, and I want to be the next."
Miami won out over Cleveland's other top choices of Missouri and Auburn.
Cleveland was of the best-rated players available in the transfer portal after averaging 12.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in two seasons for the Seminoles.
Last season, Miami was the landing destination for both Kansas State transfer Nijel Pack and Arkansas State transfer Norchad Omier. Both became key starters who led the Hurricanes to their second regular-season ACC championship and first Final Four appearance.
That continues a long legacy of transfers excelling in Miami under head coach Jim Larrañaga. Sheldon McClellan (Texas) and Angel Rodriguez (Kansas State) anchored the Hurricanes' backcourt for two seasons after transferring in 2013. When Miami made it to the Elite Eight in 2022, they were led by Charlie Moore (DePaul) and Kameron McGusty (Oklahoma.)
Cleveland is set to be the program's next impactful transfer. He just completed a breakout sophomore season with Florida State, which was highlighted by a stretch of eight consecutive double-doubles.
That stellar season makes Cleveland an exciting option as a replacement at guard for Jordan Miller, who declared for the 2023 NBA draft in April.
Miller, a transfer from George Mason, averaged 15.3 points per game for the Seminoles last year. Cleveland told ESPN that watching Miller's successful development in Miami was part of the reason he decided to transfer to the Hurricanes.
