Strong-built guard that played through contact and maintained control with the ball in his hands. Shot the ball extremely well off the catch with a quick, confident release, while also doing a great job pushing the pace in transition and keeping the offense flowing. What separated him was his passing feel and decision-making—consistently found open teammates, delivered accurate passes in rhythm, and created quality looks throughout the weekend. One of the more impressive guards and overall facilitators on display, with the ability to control the game while still impacting it as a scorer.

Prep Hoops National Ranking: 33rd

Next highest national ranking: 51st 247

A prospect who had a monster weekend at Flyin’ to the Hoop for Dream City Christian, Cleaves Jr at times looked like the most productive player on the court for his Nike Scholastic squad. An elite 3-point shooter, Cleaves Jr also has a strong frame for a player of his age and the ball skills to create shots for himself or for teammates. Really impressed with his feel for the game and shooting ability, Cleaves Jr projects as one of the most productive high school guards next season on the west coast.

Extremely switchable on Defense with his size and strength. Can play point when called upon and runs it comfortably. His biggest weapon is when he attacks the paint. He is really good at absorbing contact and still finishing with finesse at the fingertip point of the ball contact, which tells me that he is even stronger than he looks. He gives great effort on both ends, and he is very mentally in tune with the game.

Overall was a big fan of what Cleaves Jr brought to the table on Friday night. With a stronger frame for a 2028 guard, Cleaves Jr wasn’t getting pushed off his spots and handled the physicality from seniors on the other end well. That physicality was shown late in the game when Cleaves Jr had a sweet and-1 reverse layup. A knockdown shooter, Cleaves Jr is not a guy you want to leave open with his feet set. Expect to hear a lot more about Cleaves Jr as the fact he’s already making a big impact on the Nike Scholastic league as a sophomore speaks volumes about his talent.

I am not the first, and certainly will not be the last person to write about Mateen Cleaves Jr Mateen Cleaves Jr 6'4" | PG/CG Dream City Christian | 2028 State #33 Nation AZ this spring. Everyone has been raving about his scoring ability or counting stats he’s putting up. However, that isn’t what is most impressive to me. It’s the fact that he doesn’t play or carry himself like an underclassmen, and for sure not one playing up a grade level. Talking on defense, celebrating on the bench, and taking care of the basketball. These are things that you don’t see on a box score but have a huge impact on teammate performance and the outcome of the basketball game. It’s going to be tough to keep Mateen out of the #1 spot when the 2028 rankings come out.

Cleaves is actually playing up with The Family 16u. Even playing up against elite national talent, his game still stands out and shines. I like how Cleaves’ game is continuing to grow. It looks like he’s developed into a strong and physical lead guard that can score, rebound and defend. Cleaves continued to show a mature and well rounded game this weekend.

The Family went 3-0 at the Indiana Clash, picking up wins against the Illinois Wolves, 5 Star Basketball and Midwest Basketball Club MHC. Cleaves Jr.’s name was one that kept popping up with his next level frame and physicality.

Cleaves and his build and frame as a freshman screams next level. He’s tough to pigeon hole at a position, but that’s a good thing. All the skills are there for Cleaves Jr. to end up playing any of a number of roles. Right now, his quickness, strength and game IQ make him a tough stop off the wing.