Young Harris’ ‘matchup nightmare’ becomes No. 1 scorer in NCAA DII

Jeremy Currier had no idea how much one little email would change his life and the future of the basketball program at Young Harris College.

It was the middle of the 2019-20 season and Currier opened a message to inform him that one of area’s best high school players was still available and might be a good fit for the small mountain school in northeast Georgia.

Later that afternoon, Currier made the 90-minute drive to Banks County High School and saw Carl Cleveland for the first time. Before the day was done, Currier had offered Cleveland a scholarship and a chance to play basketball and stay close to home — two things he valued most.

“He didn’t play AAU and he had a foot injury, so he was a little bit under the radar,” Currier said. “We were looking for a 6-foot-5 kind of inside-outside player and I offered him a scholarship that day.”

On Saturday that same guy — who this season is the leading scorer in NCAA Div. II at 27.7 points per game — will be honored at the school’s basketball game for becoming the school’s all-time leading scorer.

“It’s kind of hard to believe from where I’m at to where I was when I first came up here,” Cleveland said. “It’s nice to see all that hard work pay off.”

This season has been remarkable for Cleveland. In 19 games, the 6-foot-5 senior is averaging 27.7 points and 8.7 rebounds, No. 38 in DII. He is shooting 53.8% from the floor, 43.9% on 3-pointers and 79.7% from the line. He has two games with 40-plus points and has scored double figures every night.

Cleveland has unique skills. He played center in high school and is comfortable with his back to the basket. His footwork is excellent, as are his skills at reading a defense and his ability to make a quick decision and escape a double-team. He has developed the ability to step outside and effectively shoot the 3-pointer.

“He’s just a matchup nightmare,” Currier said. “He can face up and attack, he’s very good on the perimeter, downhill, driving … and once he gets that 3-ball going, he’s just a handful for the defense.”

Cleveland played for his father, Mike Cleveland, at Banks County. Mike Cleveland was a 6-5 center who was an all-conference player at Emmanuel University. He was the basketball coach and remains the school’s athletic director.

“Carl was just a hard worker,” Mike Cleveland said. “A piece of it is being a really good athlete, but it’s really just hard work and dedication. We told him when he was younger, ‘You’re probably not going to be the fastest kid and you’re probably not going to be 7-foot tall, but you could compete at a high level if you work hard, work on your skills’ and he’s done a great job with that.”

Carl Cleveland was being recruited by North Georgia, but the school had a coaching change, and Young Harris was able to swoop in and grab him. (Courtesy of Curtis Markham)

In four seasons at Banks County, Carl Cleveland scored 2,445 points and had 1,049 rebounds, both school records, and was a four-time all-region and all-state player.

Cleveland was being recruited by North Georgia, but the school had a coaching change, and Young Harris was able to swoop in and grab him.

Cleveland joined the program in 2020-21, but quickly discovered he needed to be in better shape. After playing at 275 pounds his final year in high school, he lost weight and became physically stronger. He averaged 5.1 points in all 11 games during the COVID-shortened season.

That season also caused Cleveland to realize he needed to get better if he wanted to play at the level to which he was accustomed.

“That first year was a struggle,” he admitted. “You go from being the star in high school to playing limited minutes. Just sticking with it and trusting in myself and believing in myself, that’s really what it took.”

He gave signs of what was to come in 2021-22 when he averaged 15.6 points and 7.4 rebounds, then improved both those totals the next year, averaging 17.7 points and 7.8 rebounds.

“He’s the one guy that every year he’s come back, he’s come back better,” Currier said. “He’s improved his body every year. He’s so strong, a tireless worker in the weight room, and that skill set is a reflection of him and his dad getting on that court.”

Cleveland sat out the 2023-24 season because of a broken foot that required a screw to be inserted. He said it was the toughest time of his life.

“That kind of pushed me these last two years,” he said. “That’s why I worked as hard as I can because I know that at any moment it can be taken away from you.”

Young Harris standout Carl Cleveland (center) missed the 2023-24 season because of a broken foot that required a screw to be inserted. The senior says it was the toughest time of his life. “That kind of pushed me these last two years.” (Courtesy of Curtis Markham)

Fully healthy, he came back as a junior to average 19.8 points and 8.7 rebounds. In the aftermath, Cleveland was besieged by offers from larger schools who dangled plenty of name, image and likeness dollars. He opted instead to stay and finish his career where it started.

“I had a bunch of schools reach out and say, ‘You can get this much money here and this much money there,’” Cleveland said. “That sounds all good, but I value the people that I’m going to be around and the culture that I’m going to be around more than ‘X’ amount of money another program could give me. Young Harris and Coach Currier have been loyal to me and my family and I value that a lot.”

With the school close to home and with all the road games in the Conference Carolinas within driving distance, Mike and Lisa Cleveland are able to attend all the games. And whenever possible, Carl will come home on the weekend — and sometimes bring a teammate along to do some fishing and enjoy some of mom’s cooking.

Cleveland’s excellence continues in the classroom. He has completed a degree in elementary education and is almost done with a second diploma in management. He has been on the honor roll each year, and last season was named the Conference Carolina’s scholar athlete of the year for all sports.