Matthew Cleveland, a high school junior guard from Georgia, lists KU, Mizzou, others
Matthew Cleveland, a 6-foot-6, 190-pound junior shooting guard from Pace Academy in Milton, Georgia, has included Kansas and Missouri on his lengthy list of 16 schools he’d consider for the next step in his men’s basketball career.
Cleveland, the No. 40-ranked player in the recruiting Class of 2021 according to Rivals.com, on Wednesday revealed the list of 16 on Twitter. The group consists of KU, MU, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Auburn, Stanford, Miami, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina State, Purdue, Xavier, Florida State, Tulane, Louisville and Arkansas.
Cleveland averaged 22.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.9 steals a game this season for state-champion Pace Academy. He had single-game highs of 42 points, 20 rebounds, nine steals and eight assists.
“Getting to the basket, high intensity, being able to score, and just getting my teammates involved,” Cleveland told 247sports.com when asked to describe his game.
Sophomore Bates best prep player in U.S.
Emoni Bates, a 6-8, 185-pound sophomore forward from Lincoln High in Ypsilanti, Michigan, has been named Gatorade national player of the year in high school basketball
Bates, who has Kansas on his early list of prospective colleges, is the first sophomore to win the award, which dates to 1986.
He’s the No. 1 player in the recruiting Class of 2022 according to Rivals.com.
Bates is considering KU, Duke, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, DePaul and others. It’s possible high school players will be able to go straight to the NBA by the time Bates is a prep senior.
“To be honest, I don’t even know yet. If I have to go play a year in college, that’s what I’m going to do. If I can go straight to the league, then that’s what I’m going to do. Of course I want to play in the NBA. That’s been my dream,” Bates told Yahoo!Sports.com.
The 16-year-old Bates scored 63 points and grabbed 21 rebounds in a double-overtime win over Chelsea High School in February. For the year, he averaged 32.0 points a game.
He beat out Evan Mobley of California and Cade Cunningham of Texas, prep seniors who have signed to play at USC and Oklahoma State, respectively.
Bates emerged as a top recruit as a freshman at USA Basketball training camp in Colorado.
“Within two minutes of watching him in drills, I recognized right away that he was built different than anyone else in the gym and played the game at a higher level,” Rivals.com analyst Eric Bossi told Yahoo!Sports. “I’ve been doing this for 20 years and he’s one of the best prospects I’ve seen.”
Bates models his game after former Lakers phenom Kobe Bryant.
“It’s like something that has been built in me, I have a different type of mentality,” Bates told Rivals.com. “I watched a lot of Kobe growing up and seeing how he carries himself, that’s who I model my game after.
Todd spurns Michigan for pro ball
Isaiah Todd, a 6-10 forward from Word of God Christian Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina, who chose Michigan over KU and others in recruiting, has decided to turn pro instead of playing for the Big Ten school for one season.
It’s possible he could head overseas or play in the NBA G-League.
“This was a tough decision for him, but he just feels like this is what’s best for him and his development,” Todd’s mother Marlene Venable told SI.com. “We love Michigan and Juwan (Howard, coach), but, at the end of the day, he has to make the best decision for him.”
Back in November, Todd, the No. 14-rated player in the Class of 2020 according to Rivals.com, did not sign a letter of intent with Michigan despite verbally committing to the school.
“My dream has always been to play in the NBA,” Todd told SI.com. “I just feel like this route will help my game grow even more. I want to be as prepared as possible when the times comes. This was a no-brainer for me.”
Players must be 19 and a year removed from high school to declare for the NBA Draft. He is free to play a season in the G-League prior to entering the draft.
“I know some people won’t understand it, but this is the decision I’ve made. I love coach Howard and I love Michigan, but I feel like this was the best decision for me,” Todd told SI.com.
Skyy Clark lists KU, others
Skyy Clark, a 6-1 sophomore point guard from Heritage Christian High in California, who is ranked No. 17 in the recruiting Class of 2022 by RIvals.com, has KU on his early list of schools. He’s also considering Kentucky, UCLA, Gonzaga, Auburn, Oregon, Tennessee, Florida State and others.
Clark’s dad, Kenny, is a former wide receiver for the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings. Clark plans on playing for Brentwood Academy in Tennessee his junior season.
“Actually, we had talked to Huntington Prep (in West Virginia) as well,” Kenny Clark told Kentucky.rivals.com. “As far as Brentwood, this has been months and months in the making. This isn’t just something that’s come out of the blue.
“My wife always wanted to live in the Nashville area, and Brentwood is a beautiful, beautiful area. Actually, her dad and her three sisters live in Nashville. Also, I’m from Florida, so with this pandemic, we wanted to get to family as easily as possible in the event that something were to happen in the future.”
First round for Dotson, Doke?
IKU’s Devon Dotson and Udoka Azubuike are now considered first-round picks in the 2020 NBA Draft, according to nbcsports.com.
Dotson is listed at No. 29 overall and Azubuike No. 30. There are 30 picks total in Round One.
Of sophomore point guard Dotson, Scott Phillips of nbcsports.com wrote: ”At some point it just becomes impossible to ignore the production. Dotson averaged 18-4-4 for the best team in college basketball, showcasing the ability to get to the rim almost at will while playing tough, aggressive on-ball defense for the best defensive team in the sport. There are some concerns — he’s very right hand-dominant, he shot 31% from three, he’s not physically imposing — but he’s worth a flier in this draft class.”
Of senior center Azubuike, Phillips wrote: “I don’t think that it’s crazy to say that Doke helped his professional outlook more than any player in college basketball this season. He was the most dominant defensive force in the sport. His ability to control the paint was unmatched, but he shed enough weight and improved his foot speed enough that he was able to shut down pick-and-roll actions playing drop coverage, something we are seeing more of in the NBA.
“The big question is if he is quick enough to be able to do that at the professional level as well, because he is never going to be a threat to do anything offensively more than 4-feet away from the rim and he’ll always be a Hack-a-Doke risk given his free throw shooting.
“But a year ago, I would have said there was no chance that Azubuike could play in the NBA. None. And now I think that he’ll be an effective piece for a team that is creative in the way they use him in certain matchups.”
This story was originally published April 16, 2020 at 11:37 AM with the headline "Matthew Cleveland, a high school junior guard from Georgia, lists KU, Mizzou, others."
