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Florida State

Leonard Hamilton says Matthew Cleveland is a 'warrior'

Chandler Vesselsby: Chandler Vessels01/10/23ChandlerVessels
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Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton knows sophomore wing Matthew Cleveland is the glue holding his team together. That was evident Saturday in a 75-64 victory against Georgia Tech when Cleveland posted his fifth straight double-double with 21 and 12 rebounds.

After the game, Hamilton heaped praise of Cleveland for his ability to contribute across the stat sheet.

“Matthew’s a warrior,” Hamilton said. “There’s no doubt about that. You look in the dictionary and you see that word that says, ‘unconquered’ and you see his face right there. He’s just that kind of guy. He raises his level every game. He’s out there giving us the tip-ins, the fast breaks, the rebounds. His rebounds — is this his fifth straight game with a double-double? I’m not sure I’ve been around too many people who can do that five games in a row in my whole career. But that’s part of who he is. The ball will bounce over there and he goes and gets it from the other side of the floor.”

Leonard Hamilton went on to comment on how Matthew Cleveland improved his shooting, going from 17.6% from 3-point range as a freshman to 42.9% this season. He also noted how his play has taken an even bigger step forward following the injury to teammate Cam’Ron Fletcher at the beginning of December.

Cleveland is leading the team with 14.4 points per game. However, in the six games since Fletcher went down with injury, that number has gone up to 18.2 points per game.

“He’s improved his shooting,” Hamilton said. “His defense is solid. He makes great decisions. If he makes a mistake, he doesn’t make the same mistake again. There’s no doubt that he’s been the backbone of the program both offensively and defensively. Especially after Cam Fletcher had to go out. He took that responsibility and that says a lot about his character.”

In spite of the improved play from Cleveland, Florida State is just 5-11 on the season. They’ll need a fast turnaround if they hope to avoid their second straight season missing the NCAA Tournament, beginning Wednesday against Wake Forest.