Top-3 Shooting Guard Chooses FSU
Update: Florida State lands elite guard Matthew Cleveland.
The Florida State men's basketball program's 2021 recruiting class is a top-25 group right now, but that may be set for a rise. Blue-chip shooting guard Bryce McGowens is already in the fold, and South Carolina's highest ranked recruit may be adding some elite company-- and soon.
Fellow four-star SG Matthew Cleveland is announcing his collegiate decision on Tuesday, and FSU is in his top five, which also includes Michigan, Stanford, Kansas, and NC State. In addition to many others, he also has offers from Florida, Miami, and Auburn, as well as hometown Georgia Tech home-state Georgia.
What's more, Cleveland (6'6, 190) will be making his announcement to our very own Jason Jordan, SI's very own recruiting director for basketball.
Per composite rankings, Cleveland is the country's No. 3 shooting guard (McGowens is No. 6), and he's also the second best prospect from Georgia, where he attends Pace Academy in Atlanta. The Seminoles were in on Cleveland early, offering him in March of 2019 and getting him on campus a couple times last year. The 'Noles look like they're in good shape to secure Cleveland's commitment; the only other school in his top five that he's visited is Stanford.
Adding Cleveland to McGowens would vault this recruiting class for FSU, as both their players would have ranks over 98. For Leonard Hamilton's program, that'd be the definition of quality over quantity.
Be sure to check back with us, as we'll update this article once Cleveland makes his decision, as well as provide a scouting report.
