Mike Cagley, Co-Host IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

May 21, 2025

Scheduling issues meant I only got one chance to see Devin Cleveland play for the Fire and unfortunately, he tweaked a hamstring and didn't play much and did not score. The 6'1" Top 25 ranked 2027 guard showed flashes of his potential and played well the rest of the of the weekend when his hamstring didn't give him any issues.

• Shot - Cleveland didn't score, but he has a very smooth shot form and the confidence to shoot often. He hit well in pre-game warmups, and many were far beyond the 3-point line. He did settle for a couple of really long threes prior to shutting things down for the day.
• Ball handling - Cleveland handles the ball well. He had good control of the ball and didn't expose it to defenders unnecessarily.
• Rebounding - Despite clearly not feeling well, he managed to get a couple of rebounds. He is good at anticipating where the ball will go.
• On ball defense - There wasn't a lot to see here. The Fire struggled matching Mokan in scoring.
• Off ball defense - This is a work in progress like it is for many high school players.
• Intangibles - The Fire were clearly out of sorts with Cleveland not playing much. Other players were trying to make up for his absence. The Fire look to him to carry the load from a scoring standpoint. Normally that is no problem for Cleveland.

Cleveland reminds me of a 6'1" version of JJ Taylor. Both players have a smooth shot and don't show much emotion as they play the game. Cleveland is willing to shoot from deep (like Taylor) and certainly does not let a missed shot or two affect his confidence.

Cleveland came back and scored 20 and 34 points in his next two games. Sitting him for much of this game paid off with him feeling better for the next two contests.