Liberty senior forward Zach Cleveland has been invited to play in the 2026 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, according to an April 14 announcement from the university.
The tournament is considered a significant opportunity for college basketball seniors to showcase their abilities in front of NBA personnel and international scouts ahead of the NBA Draft. The event, now in its 72nd year, will be held at Churchland High School in Portsmouth, Virginia. Sixty-four players will participate across eight teams during a four-day, twelve-game schedule.
Cleveland joins a roster that includes Michigan State’s Carson Cooper, Vanderbilt’s Duke Miles, Miami Ohio’s Peter Suder, USC’s Ezra Ausar, Texas A&M’s Rashaun Agee, LSU’s Max Mackinnon and Bowling Green’s Javontae Campbell. Their team, named Portsmouth Partnership, will be coached by Erik Johnson, Evan Kee and Marwan Sarhan. Their first game is scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m.
This marks the third time in four years that Liberty Flames men’s basketball has had a player selected for this event; previous participants include Darius McGhee (2023) and Kyle Rode (2024). The tournament has previously featured notable players such as Rick Barry, Earl “The Pearl” Monroe and Jimmy Butler.
During his final season with Liberty in 2025-26, Cleveland earned several honors including Conference USA Player of the Year and was named to both the All-CUSA first team and NABC East District first team. He averaged 11.9 points per game (third on his team), led his team with averages of 7.6 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game—his assist average also led Conference USA and ranked ninth nationally—and contributed defensively with blocks and steals rankings among conference leaders. Cleveland finished his collegiate career ranking fourth all-time at Liberty in assists (569), eighth in rebounds (749), twenty-fifth in points (1,220) and second in blocks (127).
More information about the tournament can be found at portsmouthinvitational.com.
