PITTSBURGH – ACC News and Notes over the past few days involved prominent names including Joe Girard committing to Clemson, Matthew Cleveland staying in Florida, Kebba Njie following Micah Shrewsberry to Notre Dame, and much more.
NC State Center Isaiah Miranda Enters Transfer Portal
According to Verbal Commits, NC State’s Isaiah Miranda has entered the transfer portal. The 7-foot freshman was a former top-60 recruit and did not play for the Wolfpack this season. He now looks for a fresh start with four years of eligibility remaining. He previously was 100% committed to NC State for next year.
2024 No. 36 Prospect Donnie Freeman to Commit Thursday
A significant high school prospect in the class of 2024 is set to commit this week. According to On3’s Joe Tipton, Donnie Freeman will announce his decision on Thursday. The No. 36 overall prospect will pick between Iowa, Texas, Alabama, and ACC schools Syracuse and Georgia Tech. The 6-foot-9 forward ranks No. 32 overall by Rivals.com and led St. John’s (DC) to a WCAC championship. His decision will air on Rivals.com at 3:30 p.m.
Florida State’s Matthew Cleveland Commits to Miami
Matthew Cleveland nailed a half-court shot to sink Miami during the stretch run of the ACC regular-season schedule to overcome a 25-point deficit. Now, Cleveland will be on the opposite side of the rivalry as a member of the Hurricanes. Per Tipton, Cleveland committed to Miami over the weekend to join the reigning ACC regular-season champs.
During his sophomore campaign, Cleveland averaged 13.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and shot 44.5% from the floor in 30 games. He played nearly 34 minutes per appearance and nailed 35% of his three-point shots. Miami reached the Final Four before losing to eventual champion UConn.
Syracuse Guard Joe Girard Transfers to Clemson
Another major college player is transferring within the ACC. Former Syracuse guard Joe Girard announced that he is heading south to Clemson for his final year of eligibility. Girard is one of the best sharpshooters in basketball. He shot 40% from the floor and 38% behind the arc after hitting at a 40% clip his junior year. Girard averaged a career-best 16.4 points and hovered around three rebounds per appearance all four years.
Girard departed Syracuse after Jim Boeheim retired as head basketball coach following 47 seasons. Clemson narrowly missed the NCAA Tournament despite a 23-11 overall and 14-6 conference record.
Kebba Njie Commits to Notre Dame
Former Penn State forward Kebba Njie is reuniting with his former head coach. Njie committed to Notre Dame after spending his freshman year with the Nittany Lions. The Fighting Irish hired Penn State coach Micah Shrewsberry after a 23-year partnership with Mike Brey, leading the way for Shrewsberry to take the job since guiding PSU to the tournament.
The 6-foot-10 Njie started 26 of 37 games for an experienced Penn State team. He averaged 3.4 points and 3.5 assists in over 14 minutes per game. Notre Dame finished in the bottom third of the ACC standings and look to bounce back with a new era on the horizon.
