PITTSBURGH – ACC news continues to be extremely prevalent halfway through April. Almost half the ACC is interested in Florida State transfer Matthew Cleveland while players continue to enter the portal and find new destinations.
Florida State’s Matthew Cleveland Enters Transfer Portal, Hearing From Pitt, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, NC State, Miami, Clemson
Florida State sophomore guard Matthew Cleveland is a very popular in the transfer portal one day after placing his name in the system. CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein reported Wednesday that Cleveland is hearing from fellow ACC teams including Pitt, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, NC State, Miami and Clemson. He averaged 13.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists while shooting 44.5% from the floor in 30 games. Cleveland made one of the biggest shots of the college basketball season to overcome an over 20-point deficit to Miami and knock off the Hurricanes.
Cleveland, 6-foot-7, also scored in double figures (11.5) during his freshman year and started all 30 games for the Seminoles during the 2022-23 campaign. Florida State experienced a down season after finishing 17-14 last year. The Seminoles ended 9-23 overall and 7-13 in conference play, dropping its final game in the ACC Tournament 61-60 to Georgia Tech.
Georgia Tech Guard Tristan Maxwell Enters Portal
The Yellow Jackets also have a guard set to walk out the door. Third year player Tristan Maxwell is entering the transfer portal, according to Verbal Commits. Maxwell started in two of his 17 appearances for Georgia Tech last season, playing more games than the previous two years (six). He averaged 3.4 points and shot better behind the three-point arc (31%) than overall from the field (26%).
Georgia Tech ended under .500 (15-18) and fired head coach Josh Pastner after a 6-14 record in ACC competition. Multiple players have departed the program since Pastner’s firing as the program aims to regroup and retool the roster under first-year head coach Damon Stoudamire.
Boston College Lands Charleston Southern Transfer Guard Claudell Harris Jr.
While Florida State and Georgia Tech lost a player, Boston College added one Wednesday. Charleston Southern transfer guard Claudell Harris Jr. has committed to the Eagles for the 2023-24 campaign. Harris Jr. is a premium scorer who ranked in the top 100 overall in points per game (17.4). The sophomore also averaged 3.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists in over 31 minutes each appearance on the floor. Harris Jr. turns the ball over about twice a game as well while shooting 33% in two seasons with the Buccaneers.
Boston College closed the year 16-17 overall and just under .500 in conference competition (9-11). The Eagles defeated Louisville in the first round of the ACC Tournament (80-62) before being defeated by North Carolina (85-61) in the second round. Pitt defeated BC 77-56 at the Petersen Events Center on Feb. 14 and will now face a new challenge in the 6-foot-3 guard from Hashnville, Louisiana.
Stanford Transfer Harrison Ingram Visiting With North Carolina
The North Carolina Tar Heels have a plethora of minutes to replace following the graduations of Leaky Black and Pete Nance parlayed with Caleb Love and Puff Johnson transferring. Stanford transfer forward Harrison Ingram is visiting with multiple schools including UNC, per On3’s Joe Tipton. The 6-foot-7 sophomore was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year two seasons ago and started 62 of 65 games for the Cardinal. Ingram averaged 10.5 points during both campaigns. The former McDonald’s All American totaled 25 steals and 15 blocks in 2022-23 and averaged 5.8 rebounds plus 3/7 assists.
UNC added Brown transfer Paxson Wojick and Louisville’s Jae’Lyn Withers since the portal opened to pair with returners RJ Davis and Armando Bacot. The Heels became the first program since the NCAA Tournament field expanded in 1985 to be ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll and fail to reach March Madness. North Carolina (20-13, 11-9 ACC) was one of the last four teams left out by the selection committee.
Illinois Transfer RJ Melendez Hearing From Virginia, Virginia Tech
RJ Melendez is hearing from two ACC schools in the same state. Rothstein reported that Virginia and Virginia Tech are both interested in the Illinois guard, who entered the transfer portal on April 3. Melendez began in the starting five 18 times through 32 games for the Fighting Illini, totaling marks of 6.0 points, and 3.5 rebounds in over 21 minutes. He shot 37.6% from the floor and 24-of-91 (26.4%) from three.
Virginia lost to Furman in the NCAA Tournament while Virginia Tech didn’t make the big dance. The Hokies ended 19-15, 8-12 in ACC play, and lost by nine to Cincinnati in the NIT first round. Virginia has not won a tourney game since winning the 2019 National Championship.
