Johnuel “Boogie” Fland (born July 10, 2006) is an American college basketball player for the Arkansas Razorbacks of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Fland initially committed to Kentucky, but de-committed after the departure of John Calipari. ESPN and Rivals rate him as a five-star recruit and 247Sports rates him as a 4-star recruit. All three rate him as one of the top 25 players in the class of 2024.
| Arkansas Razorbacks | |||||||||||||||
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| Position | Point guard / shooting guard | ||||||||||||||
| League | Southeastern Conference | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | July 10, 2006 | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, New York) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Arkansas (commit) | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Early life and high school career
editA native of The Bronx, Fland attended local public schools throughout his early life. In middle school, he led M.S. 54 - Booker T. Washington to a city championship. [1] Fland would attend Archbishop Stepinac High School, leading the school to the Catholic High School Athletic Association Intersectional Final his sophomore, Junior, and Senior years. [2] [3] [4] Stepinac lost the 2022 final but won back-to-back in 2023 and 2024, with Fland announced the Finals MVP in both games.[5] After the 2024 season ended, the CHSAA and Public Schools Athletic League announced that their champions would play each other for a city championship for the first time ever; Stepinac won this inaugural championship over the Eagle Academy for Young Men II.[6] As a senior, Fland averaged 19.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.4 steals per game while leading the Crusaders to 26-4 record.
As a sophomore, Fland was one of the first two New York City high school basketball players to receive NIL deals, along with his friend Ian Jackson.[7] Along with Accelerate Sports Ventures, he developed a clothing line while also promoting the NIL merchandise platform Spreadshop. Into his senior year, Fland fielded more than 30 recruiting offers from NCAA Division 1 basketball programs.[8] In October 2023, he committed to Kentucky over Alabama and Indiana after three visits from John Calipari in September and October.[9] On April 15, 2024, he de-committed after John Calipari departed Kentucky for a coaching position at Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball.[10]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boogie Fland SG |
The Bronx, NY | Archbishop Stepinac High School (NY) | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Oct 20, 2023 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 91
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| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 10 247Sports: 25 ESPN: 15 | ||||||
Sources:
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National team career
editFland played for the United States under-17 basketball team at the 2022 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup, averaging the second most assists on the team.[11]
Personal life
editFland was given the nickname 'Boogie' as a child, because he was always dancing.[7]
References
edit- ^ "Farewell video from coach". Instagram. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
- ^ Thomson, Josh. "Boys basketball: Stepinac plagued by off night against fierce Hayes in city championship". Lohud. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- ^ Adler, Neil (13 March 2023). "Syracuse basketball 5-star PG target Boogie Fland balls out, wins NYC title". Inside the Loud House. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- ^ Reichert, Brian (10 March 2024). "Stepinac wins Back-to-Back". NYC Hoops. Rivals.com. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- ^ Dougherty, Mike. "Stepinac goes back-to-back, topping Nazareth for CHSAA AA City Championship". Lohud. Rockland / Westchester Journal News. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- ^ Dougherty, Mike (25 March 2024). "Stepinac closes out memorable run with a win PSAL vs. CHSAA basketball championship". Yahoo Sports. Yahoo. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- ^ a b Braziller, Zach (12 December 2021). "Meet the Bronx hoops stars set to become first NYC high schoolers with NIL deals". The New York Post. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- ^ Dougherty, Mike. "Inside the recruitment of basketball star Boogie Fland, now committed to Kentucky". Courier-Journal. USA Today. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- ^ Tucker, Kyle. "Kentucky basketball lands 5-star combo guard Boogie Fland over Alabama, Indiana". The Athletic. The New York Times. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- ^ "Report: 5-Star Recruit Boogie Fland Requests Kentucky Release After Calipari's Exit". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- ^ "Boogie Fland's USA Basketball Profile". USA Basketball. Retrieved March 27, 2024.