| T.J. Cleveland |
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A nationally-recognized recruiter, a proven talent on the hardwood and now a growing figure in the coaching profession, T.J. Cleveland enters his fourth season as a member of the University of Missouri Men's Basketball coaching staff.
A four-year letterwinner under Mizzou Head Coach Mike Anderson at Arkansas (1998-2002), Cleveland's career path to the Division I coaching ranks mirrors that of his coaching mentor, Anderson. While Anderson started as a volunteer assistant under Nolan Richardson at Tulsa upon graduation, Cleveland followed a similar route, becoming UAB's video coordinator after graduating in 2002. Cleveland then spent three seasons in that role of video coordinator, before being promoted to full-time assistant prior to the 2005-06 campaign.
"T.J. is a fine young coach that we've had the opportunity to see grow since he began his career at Arkansas as a student-athlete," Missouri Head Coach Mike Anderson said. "T.J's passion and work-ethic have allowed him to make some great strides in this profession and will allow him to continue that growth as an assistant coach."
Cleveland's growth as an assistant has taken a giant leap over the past three seasons at Mizzou. Known for his hands-on approach to coaching, Cleveland has played a key role in the development of Missouri's guards, initially helping Stefhon Hannah earn Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors in 2006-07, before mentoring J.T. Tiller into the Big 12's Defensive Player of the Year in 2008-09. Tiller led the Tigers in both steals and assists last season and alongside fellow junior Zaire Taylor, Missouri unleashed one of the nation's most devastating backcourt tandems, which included Taylor being named to the Big 12's All-Rookie Team.
"Coach Cleveland played a big part in the development of our backcourt," J.T. Tiller said. "He's played our position at a high level in college and knows this system so well from his days at Arkansas. He sees the floor as a point guard and if we miss something out there, he is able to help us recognize it so we can make the right play the next time."
More often than not, Cleveland's guards made the right play in 2008-09. Missouri set a school record for fewest turnovers per game at 11.8 and forced opposing offenses into 18.3 miscues per game. Most impressively, however, Missouri led the nation with 18.4 assists per game and ranked # 2 in America with a 1.54-to-1 assist/turnover ratio. The Tigers also ranked #2 nationally in steals per game (10.2) and their 388 total steals not only set a Missouri record, but broke the Big 12 Conference record as well.
Exciting, fundamental basketball has been a hallmark of Missouri's guards over the past three seasons. In 2007-08 the Tigers ranked # 2 in the Big 12 and # 23 nationally with 16.7 assists per game and four different guards had 59 or more assists, including then-senior guard Jason Horton. Horton led the Big 12 and ranked # 6 nationally with a 2.85 assist-to-turnover ratio after dishing 94 total assists on the year. Horton finished his Tiger tenure fifth in career assists and 10th in steals, making him just the fourth player in school annals to rank among the Top 10 in both categories. Missouri also did an excellent job protecting the basketball, averaging just 12.9 turnovers per game, then a school record before the 2008-09 squad shattered that mark a year later.
"We play a fun, up-tempo style of basketball, but like Coach Anderson always says, it's predicated on the fundamentals of the game first and foremost," Cleveland said. "We play fast and we want to get our opponents out of their comfort zone. Once we do that, the instincts of our players can take over and it turns into a fun style of basketball to play and be apart of."
Cleveland broke into the coaching profession in 2005-06 at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. With the help of the former point guard as a full-time assistant, the Blazers led Conference USA in assists (15.6), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.22), turnover margin (+8.03) and field goal percentage (45.3), while ranking second in scoring (74.4), scoring margin (+8.7), steals (10.9) and third in three-point field goals per game (7.16).
Individually, Cleveland helped tutor two of Conference USA's top perimeter standouts, seniors Carldell "Squeaky" Johnson and Marvett McDonald. Johnson led Conference USA and ranked ninth nationally with 6.26 assists per game, while his 2.6 steals per contest ranked No. 2 in C-USA and No. 20 nationally. Johnson also paced C-USA in three-point field goal percentage (.477) and led the league with an impressive 3.13 assist-to-turnover ratio. McDonald was UAB's top offensive producer at 14.8 points per game. McDonald led C-USA with 3.1 three-point field goals per contest (No. 27 nationally) and ranked No. 15 in three-point percentage (.361).
A four-year standout at Arkansas where the Razorbacks racked up a 76-50 overall record, Cleveland is tied for fifth all-time at UA in steals with 226 and scored 701 points over his 117-game career (6.0 ppg.). A two-year captain under Coach Richardson as a junior and senior, Cleveland was part of three NCAA Tournament clubs (1998-2001) and his 1999-2000 squad won the SEC Postseason Tournament to earn the league's automatic berth to the "Big Dance".
Cleveland led Arkansas in both steals (70) and assists (76) despite missing eight games as a junior. He also led the club with 49 three-point field goals and his 41.5 percent success rate from beyond the arc ranked second in the SEC.
As a senior, the former Minor High School standout reached double figures in points nine times, including back-to-back games vs. LSU (Feb. 17, 2002) and South Carolina (Feb. 20, 2002) where he poured in 19 point and 15 points respectively in consecutive Razorback victories.
Named Alabama's Class 6A State Tournament MVP after leading the Minor Tigers to the state crown as a senior in 1998, Cleveland graduated from Arkansas with a Bachelor of Arts in communications. He was married to Ami (Watson) in June of 2003.
Position
Assistant Coach
Seasons at Missouri
Fourth Season
Alma Mater
Arkansas '02
Hometown
Birmingham, Ala.
Wife
Ami
Coaching Experience
2006-Present University of Missouri
Assistant Coach
2005-06 UAB
Assistant Coach
2002-05 UAB
Video Coordinator
Playing Experience
1998-02 University of Arkansas
1995-98 Minor High School
Birmingham, Ala.
