The NBA Combine Invite List Did Not List A Single Miami Hurricane
The ACC had a down year in basketball, outside of Duke, of course, and that also took a hit in the invite list for the NBA Draft Combine in less than one week. One of those hits came when not a single Miami Hurricane was invited despite one of the worst seasons in program history.
The NBA announced today that 75 players have been invited to the 2025 NBA Draft Combine, which will take place from May 11-18 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 2, 2025
Additionally, a select number of standout players from the 2025 NBA G League Elite Camp, which… pic.twitter.com/KlCy4tcvW8
Blue Devils superstar Cooper Flagg highlights the list of potential NBA players, but the ACC was lacking this year in talent. Of the 75 players invited this year, the conference only had ten players invited — six from Duke, and one from North Carolina, Florida State, Stanford, and Wake Forest. This could be an effect of the NIL era college hoops is in, as well as players not trusting their draft stock.
If the Hurricanes had one invite, it should have gone to their star player this season, Matthew Cleveland. When he did play, he was the only consistent player
Among ACC players, Cleveland finished the regular season sixth in scoring (17.6), first in number of 30-point games (three), fourth in field goal percentage (.511) and fifth in number of 20-point games (14).
Cleveland was the only ACC player this year to score 30-plus points in three games. In conference play, Cleveland averaged 21.3 points, good for second among all ACC players in scoring.
The Atlanta native scored in double-figures in 21 of 28 games played this season and tallied a career-high 32 points in two games.
Cleveland scored 20-plus points in seven straight games, the only Miami player to do so in the last 20 years.
With those stats alone, he should have received an invite, but it was easy to overlook to struggling Canes all season.
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.