For the Crimson Tide, Cleveland was a starter all three of his varsity seasons (freshmen were not eligible at this time). For his career, he became the first Alabama player in program history to be named first team all conference three times. In his senior season, Cleveland teamed with Leon Douglas and T. R. Dunn to lead the Tide to their first NCAA tournament berth. For his Alabama career, Cleveland scored 1,312 points (15.8 per game) and led the Crimson Tide to a combined 66–17 record (seventh best in the country during that period).
