There’s still one year left for Carl Cleveland at Young Harris. The Banks County legend will have one more season – a sixth – for the Mountain Lions. The COVID 2020-21 season limited the team to just 11 games, and he missed the entire 2022-23 season due to a broken foot, which earned him a medical redshirt. Even if he elected not to return for his final season of eligibility, he’s already put up all-time great numbers in three full seasons.
He’s first all-time in rebounds (692), second in field goals (531), third in points (1,552), 4th in 3-pointers (127), and 9th in assists (164).
“It means a lot,” Cleveland says on being near or at the top of so many categories. “To think about being in high school and where I am now, I would have never imagined myself in this situation with a year still left to play. I just have to give the glory to God ultimately to allow me to do what I love at a high level.”
College stats
The remarkable thing about Cleveland’s career has been that each season he has progressed in nearly every category. Consider these numbers as evidence:
- 2020-21 – 5.1 PTS, 1.9 REB, 0.8 AST, 8 STL, 0 BLK, 10 3PT
- 2021-22 – 15.6 PTS, 7.4 REB, 1.8 AST, 18 STL, 10 BLK, 39 3PT
- 2022-23 – Missed Season Due to Injury
- 2023-24 – 17.7 PTS, 7.8 REB, 2.1 AST, 15 STL, 5 BLK, 35 3PT
- 2024-25 – 19.8 PTS, 8.7 REB, 1.6 AST, 24 STL, 6 BLK, 43 3PT
“The only answer has to be the work I put in day in and day out,” adds Cleveland on what he attributes to this year-by-year improvement. “I would pride myself in saying that I put in an extraordinary amount of work on the court and within the weight room. With saying this, I can’t take all the credit. There are a number of different people that allow me to work on my craft on and off the court.”
Cleveland credits his dad who he says, “has molded me into the player I am today and taught me more than I could’ve ever done myself.”
His dad watches game films with him and targets “one thing we work on in the summer to try and perfect it.”
Cleveland also credits his Young Harris College coaches.
“Coach Currier and Coach Jerel have allowed me to always perform at a high level and continue to believe in me no matter the situation. Off the court, Coach Bryan does an awesome job getting me to a peak in the weight room during the summer and Coach Crystal at YHC does a great job as well,” he says.”
In total, Cleveland has logged 95 games and 85 starts, and Young Harris has thrived this past season to a 21-9 record and played in the Conference Carolina Quarterfinals. He’s been a part of 68 total wins during his tenure at Young Harris. He’s getting it done on the court, earning 1st Team All-Conference honors in back-to-back seasons.
Cleveland is just as successful off the court with a 3.74 GPA as an Elementary Education and Management double major. To that end, Carl earned CSC Academic All-District honors, and is regularly a Presidential Honor Roll student-athlete.
“Academics have always been an important part of my life,” adds Cleveland. “My parents and coaches want me to strive just as much in the classroom as they do in the court. I couldn’t play basketball if I didn’t continue to strive in the classroom and keep my grades up. I love basketball, but eventually my playing days will come to an end. I want to set myself up with my education for my life after basketball.”
Life after the game
While life after basketball is coming at some point, it will have to hold off one more winter.
“I will play my last year of eligibility at Young Harris,” confirms Cleveland. “I have a chance to be the all-time leading scorer with already being the all-time leading rebounder here, which would be really cool. I believe in the guys we have coming back, the guys we are recruiting, and our staff to make a run and have another great year.”
Cleveland is a 2020 Banks County graduate and BLITZ Hall of Famer. He put up insane numbers at the high school level – 2,445 points, 1,049 rebounds, 390 assists, 82 blocks, and 116 steals, collecting 57 double-doubles and 5 triple-doubles. He was a two-time BLITZ Player of the Year, an All-State selection twice, and two-time Region 8-AA Player of the Year. He led the Leopards to nearly 100 wins in his four-year stint, including an Elite 8 and two Sweet 16s, adding three region titles. He averaged 28 points and 11 rebounds as a junior, and 25 and 12 as a senior.
