FSU basketball: Blue-chip SG Matthew Cleveland commits to Noles

FSU basketball continues to recruit at an elite level. Leonard Hamilton has added a huge piece to his 2021 recruiting class.

FSU basketball received some great news Tuesday afternoon with blue-chip shooting guard Matthew Cleveland announced his commitment to the Noles.

The Alpharetta, Georgia, native is the second commitment in the 2021 recruiting cycle for Leonard Hamilton and staff.

He joins another blue-chip shooting guard, Bryce McGowens, which boosts the FSU basketball national recruiting ranking to No. 5 with only two commits.

Cleveland announced his decision via the Twitter account seen below:

Cleveland is considered the No. 24 player nationally, the No.3 shooting guard and the No. 2 player in the state of Georgia. He’s a player the coaching staff identified early and got him on campus several times.

That relationship helped stave off late charges from the likes of UNC and Kentucky. It’s impressive to see FSU beat out the likes of Kansas and Michigan as well.

Cleveland fits the mold of several past shooting guards under Leonard Hamilton. He’s not a sharpshooter but can make plays by getting in the paint off the dribble or to the rim. I’m thinking of a mixture between Trent Forrest and Devin Vassell.

He has great length, emphasis on wanting to play defense, a playmaker, and someone that’s willing to do whatever it takes to win.

He should fit right into the culture Leonard Hamilton and staff have created over the past five to six years. It’s also great timing to bring in a second guard in the recruiting class with FSU losing two seniors after the 2020-21 season.

Cleveland continues FSU’s pursuit to play at an elite level. Four of their last five signees/commits are ranked in the top 35 in the nation, and proves they are indeed the new blood among the elite programs in the country.

Welcome to Nolenation Matthew Cleveland!