No. 25-rated prospect in recruiting Class of 2021 includes KU on list of five schools
Matthew Cleveland, a 6-foot-6 senior shooting guard from Pace Academy in Atlanta, who is ranked No. 25 in the recruiting Class of 2021 by Rivals.com, has narrowed his list of colleges to five.
They are: Kansas, Florida State, Michigan, Stanford and North Carolina State. He made the announcement Monday on Twitter.
Cleveland played well for the Atlanta Celtics in “The Opening” AAU tournament last weekend in Atlanta. The tourney was live streamed during this college basketball recruiting dead period caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
“Electrifying,” is how Rivals.com’s Eric Bossi described Cleveland after viewing the player on live stream.
“I have seen Cleveland show flashes of brilliance in the past and he’s always been an athletic transition finisher. I have never seen him put it together in every aspect of the game like he did on Saturday in some high-level battles while he went for a combined 64 points in two games,” wrote Bossi.
“Currently ranked No. 25 nationally, Cleveland was hitting shots, getting to the rim and kept the same shot out of a cannon energy all day long in what I’m told was a very hot gym. I only wish I could have seen his performance in person because if the energy came through like that on a live stream, it must have been something else on site. If this is what we can expect from Cleveland here on out, he could be one of the top two or three shooting guard prospects in the class of 2021 and a top 10-15 player nationally,” Bossi added.
Cleveland also has heard from coaches from Georgia, Georgia Tech, Alabama, Auburn, Cal and others.
“He sure looks like he can play anywhere in America,” Bossi wrote.
Trent Markwith, owner of Relentless Hoops, wrote: “Matt Cleveland just went for 32 of the Atlanta Celtics’ 67 points in their first game of the summer to defeat B-Maze. He kept things simple offensively by finishing strong in traffic, running the lanes, and knocking down clean mid-range looks. Ultra-efficient and was a factor on defense.”
Meanwhile, Jerry Meyer of 247sports.com wrote of Cleveland: “Good length for a wing scorer. An explosive athlete with top notch body control. Slasher who specializes in making tough shots. Can keep defense honest with long range shooting but needs to improve in that area. Handles well especially in halfcourt. Not necessarily a playmaker for others. Great potential as a versatile defender. Top notch rebounder for his position.”
Huntley-Hatfield impresses
Another KU prospect, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, played for B-Maze Elite in a game against the Celtics in the Atlanta tournament. Huntley-Hatfield is a 6-9, 220-pound junior forward from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, who is ranked No. 6 in the Class of 2022 by Rivals.com.
“The more I see Huntley-Hatfield,” wrote Bossi, “the more he reminds me some of a young Marvin Williams. Now, Huntley-Hatfield has to get much more consistent with his effort and not float to the perimeter as much, but he is skilled and fluid at almost 6-foot-10. His jump shot is pretty, he has a prototype body for a big man and he can run. As good as he is, he still seems to be just scratching at the surface of what he could be when he unlocks his inner beast.”
Originally from Clarksville, Tennessee, Huntley-Hatfield has received early scholarship offers from KU, Georgia, Kentucky, Auburn, Georgetown, Memphis, Mississippi, Virginia Tech and others.
Davison competes in Atlanta tourney
JD Davison, a 6-3 senior point guard from Calhoun High School in Letohatchee, Alabama, who is ranked No. 15 in the recruiting Class of 2021 by Rivals.com, right before “The Opening” AAU event announced a list of 10 schools: KU, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Louisville, LSU and Memphis
“Davison broke onto the scene last summer because of his ridiculous athleticism and his ability to score the ball in traffic. Now, he’s proving that he’s much more than an athlete and I was very impressed by his ability to see the floor and find open teammates,” wrote Bossi. “Add that vision to his explosiveness and you get one really dangerous player. Davison wasn’t a huge scorer on Saturday, but I’ve seen him do that. Seeing him make plays for others and play a more all-around game was beneficial.
“I don’t know if I could pick a leader for him just yet, but the early thought is that he isn’t likely to go too far from home and outside of Kansas, his final list of 10 sure suggests he would like to stay in the Southeast,” Bossi added.
Riley nets many scholarship offers
Kansas has offered a scholarship to Jordan Riley, a 6-3 senior combo guard from Brentwood (New York) High School, according to Rivals.com. He is ranked No. 139 in the recruiting Class of 2021 by Rivals.com.
He’s received scholarship offers from coaches from Florida State, Miami, Kansas State, DePaul, Georgetown, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, Hofstra, Virginia Tech, St. John’s, Rutgers and others.
This story was originally published June 30, 2020 at 10:00 AM with the headline "No. 25-rated prospect in recruiting Class of 2021 includes KU on list of five schools."
