Florida State center Naheem McLeod enters the transfer portal

Florida State basketball center Naheem McLeod has entered the NCAA transfer portal.

The news was first reported by 24/7 High School Hoops.

McLeod started the 2022-23 season as a vital starter, but slowly saw his role diminish with the rise of freshman Cameron Corhen. He finished the season averaging 3.8 points and 1.2 blocks per game.

A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the 7’4”, 255-pound center spent two seasons in Tallahassee following a season in JUCO. Last season he averaged 4.5 points and 2.1 rebounds, playing in 18 games prior to suffering a hand injury.

McLeod is the third Seminole to enter the portal this off-season, joining Caleb Mills (who committed to the Memphis Tigers) and Matthew Cleveland.

From his FSU bio:

ON MCLEOD

The most physically imposing player in the ACC who returns for his second consecutive season as Florida State’s starting center…continues to learn how to utilize his strength and length on the basketball court to his advantage…has the opportunity to develop into one of the top big men in Florida State and ACC history as his maturation continues under Seminole Head Coach Leonard Hamilton and Associate Head Coach Stan Jones…began to show his incredible potential in his first season at Florida State before his season was cut short by an injury on February 2, 2022 at Clemson…a solid post player with a strong touch around the basket and is a polished passer…also has a strong shooting touch and is a reliable outside shooter who has worked to improve his play outside the paint since his arrival at Florida State…comfortable with the ball in his hands and passes out of the post very well…his size makes him a mismatch for just about every player in college basketball…in his second season at Florida State with three years of eligibility remaining at the beginning of the 2022-23 season…initially signed with Florida State in Head Coach Leonard Hamilton’s 2019 recruiting class before spending two years (2019-20 and 2020-21) at Chipola College in Marianna, Fla…did not play basketball during the 2019-20 season at Chipola…helped lead Chipola to the NJCAA Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas in 2021…helped lead Chipola to the FSCAA Championship in 2021…considered to be the fifth best prospect in the state of Pennsylvania and the 24th best center in the nation by 247Sports in 2019… played in the 2017 Philadelphia vs. New York All-Star game…participated in the Play by Play Invitational at the Iverson Classic which is made up of the best players in the Philadelphia area following his senior season…earned the award as the Seminoles’ best field goal percentage shooter as Florida State’s annual Honors Banquet hosted by Head Coach Leonard Hamilton and his staff in 2022.

AS A SOPHOMORE (2023)

Totaled his career-highs of 9 rebounds and 5 blocked shots with 8 points in 31 minutes of play in Florida State’s 81-72 win over Mercer at the Donald L. Tucker Center (Nov. 21)…scored 10 points (on a perfect four of four shooting from the field) with 3 blocked shots and 2 rebounds against Sanford in the second round of the ESPN Events Invitational (Nov 25)…totaled 6 points, 5 rebounds and a career-high 6 blocked shots in Florida State’s 75-63 win over Louisville at the Donald L. Tucker Center (Dec. 10)…scored 12 points with 3 rebounds in Florida State’s 80-63 win over USC Upstate at home (Dec. 13)…scored 7 points with 4 rebounds in 22 minutes of playing time in the Seminoles’ 75-64 win over Georgia Tech at the Donald L. Tucker Center (Jan. 7)…totaled 1 points with 1 rebound and 1 blocked shot in Florida State’s game against Miami at the Donald L. Tucker Center (Jan. 24)…totaled 7 points on a perfect 3 of 3 shooting from the field with 2 rebounds and 2 blocked shots in Florida State’s win over Louisville at the KFC YUM! Center (Feb. 4)…totaled his career-high of 16 points with 8 rebounds and 1 assist in Florida State’s game against Syracuse at the Donald L. Tucker Center (Feb. 8)…

SUMMER 2022 — CANADIAN TOUR

Averaged 5.0 points (15 total points), 4.7 rebounds (14 total rebounds), and 1.7 blocked shots (1.7 total blocks), while shooting .545 from the field (five of 11) in three games during the Seminoles’ three-game exhibition tour of Canada in August of 2022…Scored 4 points and totaled a team-high tying 8 rebounds in 21 minutes of playing time in Florida State’s 86-66 win over Ottawa in the first of its three exhibition games north of the border in Canada…a starter with 12 minutes played, 4 points and 5 rebounds in the Seminoles’ 98-64 win over Carleton in the second game of their Canadian Tour…was a perfect 2 of 2 from the free throw line (1.000 percent) with all five of his rebounds coming on the defensive end of the court…scored 7 points in 15 minutes as a starter in the Seminoles’ 90-74 win over McGill in game three of their Canadian Tour…was a perfect 3 of 3 from the field and made his only free throw attempt as Florida State finished 3-0 on their summer tour of Canada.

AS A FRESHMAN (2022)

Averaged 4.5 points (ninth) and 2.1 rebounds (ninth), while shooting .680 from the field…played in 18 of the Seminoles’ 31 games and was a starter in five games…missed the final 10 games of the season after he suffered a hand injury in Florida State’s game at Clemson (Feb. 2)…was playing the best basketball of his career just before getting hurt…averaged 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in the two games immediately preceding Florida State’s game at Clemson…was 11 of 13 from the field (.846) and had scored 10 points at Georgia Tech (Jan. 26) and his career-high of 15 points against Virginia Tech at home in the Donald L. Tucker Center before the Seminoles’ trip to Clemson…his most complete games of his first year came with 9 points and 7 rebounds in Florida State’s 79-78 overtime win over No. 5 Duke at the Donald L. Tucker Center (Jan. 18)…helped contain the Blue Devils’ duo of Mark Williams and Paolo Banchero in the Seminole’ win at home against the nationally ranked Blue Devils…totaled 3 points, 1 rebound and 1 blocked shot in his Seminole debut — a 105-70 win over Penn at the Donald L. Tucker Center (Nov 10)..scored 6 points with 2 rebounds and 1 steal in Florida State’s 73-45 win over Loyola Marymount in the semifinals of the Jacksonville Classic at the UNF Arena (Nov. 21)…totaled 6 points, 4 rebounds and 1 blocked shot in the first ACC game of his career against Syracuse at the Donald L. Tucker Center (Dec. 4)…scored 3 points, with 4 rebounds and 1 blocked shot in Florida State’s game against South Carolina in the Inaugural No Room For Racism Classic in Rock Hill, S.C. (Dec. 12)…scored 6 points with 1 rebound in Florida State’s 83-81 win over NC State at the PNC Arena in Raleigh (Jan. 1)…a first-time starter with 4 points in 12 minutes played in Florida State’s 76-71 win over Syracuse at the Carrier Dome (Jan. 15)… scored 10 points with 7 rebounds in Florida State’s game at Georgia Tech at McCamish Pavilion (Jan. 26)…his career-high of 10 points on a perfect 7 of 7 shooting from the field and 1 of 1 on his only free throw attempt in Florida State’s game against Virginia Tech at the Donald L. Tucker Center (Jan. 29).

AT CHIPOLA COLLEGE (2021)

Earned an Associates of Science Degree in Sport Management from Chipola College in Marianna, Fla. in 2021…attended Chipola for three semesters — the spring of 2020, the fall of 2020 and the spring of 2021…played one year of basketball at the school (2020-21) following a redshirt season (2019-20)…averaged 5.8 points and 4.0 rebounds in helping lead Chipola to the semifinals of the National Junior College Athletic Association tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas…averaged nearly eight points per game as Chipola made its run to the Florida College System Activities Association (FSCAA)…Chipola finished with a 23-5 overall record and a 13-3 record in the Florida Panhandle Conference (NJCAA Region 8)…Chipola earned a 2-1 record at the national finals in Hutchinson with wins over Shelton State (April 21, 73-60) and Indian River State (April 22, 78-75) before the Indians fell to Coffeyville in the national semifinals (April; 23, 66-63)…played in 27 of the Indians 28 games with 19 starting assignments…averaged 16.7 minutes played per game and shot .694 percent (59 of 85) from the field in his only playing season at Chipola…totaled 41 blocked shots for an average of 1.5 blocked shots per game…in the national finals he totaled five points and his season-high of six blocked shots in Chipola’s win over Shelton State, eight points and 4 rebounds in its win over Indian River and zero points and four rebounds in the Indians’ semifinal loss to Coffeyville…played his season-high of 29 minutes against Tallahassee Community College, scored his season-high of 11 points in a win over Gulf Coast State (April 8) and totaled his season-high of eight rebounds in Chipola’s win over Gulf Coast (Feb. 17)…totaled three or more blocked shots in nine different games in his only season at Chipola…totaled at least 10 points in six games including a streak of five consecutive games at Tallahassee Community College (March 9, 10 points), against Northwest Florida State (March 13, 10 points), against Gulf Coast State (March 17, 10 points), and at Pensacola State (March 20, 10 points).

AT PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH

Graduated from Plymouth Whitemarsh in 2019…earned All-State First-Team honors in Class 6A as a senior…6A is the highest classification in the state high school system…a three-time All-Conference selection – first team as a junior and a senior and third team as a sophomore…totaled his career-high of 41 points in the Colonials’ 66-61 victory over Norristown to open his senior season…averaged 19.5 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.5 blocked shots as a junior…led the Colonials to a 28-2 record and to a runner-up district finish…led his team into the nation’s top-25 rankings according to USA Today…named to the All-State First Team in Class 6A and to the First Team All-Suburban One League American Conference team as a junior…Plymouth Whitemarsh also won the Suburban One League American Conference league title…the Colonials were ranked as the No. 1 team in Class 6A throughout the season…led his team to 23 straight victories to open his junior season…totaled a double-double of 27 points and 15 rebounds in a win over Cheltenham Wyncote and totaled 26 points in a win over Pennridge Perkasie…totaled 26 points and 10 rebounds as the Colonials topped Pennridge 79-55 in the SOLAC tournament semifinals his junior season…totaled 567 points as a junior – the 12th highest single season total in school history…earned Third-Team All-SOLAC honors a sophomore…led Plymouth Whitemarsh to a 25-6 record, the championship of the SOLAC, and semifinal appearances in the District I Class 6A and PIAA Class 6A championships.

PERSONAL

Born January 31, 2000…Naheem is the son of Asha Adams…his mom is 5-5 and his dad is 7-5…he also credits his aunt and uncle, Michele and Byron Whiting, for helping him get to where he is today…a sister, who also plays basketball is 6-8….played for the same powerhouse high school as John Salmons, who played for Seminole Head Coach Leonard Hamilton at Miami…selected Florida State over Oregon, Penn State, Temple, Villanova and La Salle when he made his college decision in 2019…major is Social Science.