Florida basketball landed another impact piece to its backcourt, as former five-star recruit Boogie Fland committed to the Florida Gators on May 20.
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Fland withdrew his name from the NBA Draft last week and visited UF’s campus on May 19-20. He entered the transfer portal after averaging 13.5 points and 5.1 assists in his freshman season at Arkansas.
Fland shot 37.9% from the field and 34% from 3-point range in his freshman year at Arkansas, but missed significant time during the SEC schedule last season with a thumb injury.
A combo guard out of Archbishop Stepinac High in White Plains, N.Y., Fland was the 22nd-rated overall player and third-rated point guard in the Class of 2024 before signing to play for John Calipari and the Razorbacks. Now Fland will play under Florida coach Todd Golden, who guided UF to a 36-4 record in 2024-25 and its third national title in school history in April.
“Boogie is a winner,” said Pat Massaroni, Fland’s former high school at Archbishop Stepinac. “Boogie won a lot here. Boogie’s won a lot in his basketball career. At 6-2, 6-3, he’s a dynamic guard who can really score the ball. He can be a pass-first point guard. He rebounds really well for his size. And obviously he has to continue to shoot the ball at a higher clip, in Todd’s system, which is going to be important. I think the biggest thing is continue to transform his game in that system, will be key.”
How Boogie Fland fits with Florida basketball
Fland completes a Florida backcourt makeover, as UF has signed Princeton transfer point guard Xaivian Lee and Ohio shooting guard A.J. Brown to help replace the production lost from losing All-American guard Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard to eligibility and combo guard Denzel Aberdeen to the transfer portal (Kentucky).
Massaroni admitted he had some questions about how Fland would fit playing with Lee at the same time.
“Todd and his staff feel they can play together both on an off the ball,” Massaroni said. “Both are scoring guards, both are dynamic in that regard and be interchangeable and obviously they’ve returned some pieces here and have one more in (Alex) Condon that can really make them explosive across the board, especially with the size and length.”
Fland’s thumb injury, Massaroni said, impacted his shooting at the start of SEC play, but credited him for coming back in March after a 10-week absence to help the Razorbacks make a run to the Sweet 16. Massaroni said Fland is back to 100% after the thumb injury.
“I got to see him to his predraft workouts in mid-May and April,” Massaroni said. “He looked like a different player. His body looked great. His conditioning looked great. And look, he had some late-first-round opportunities that I think were on the table, but I think he wants to prove that he can be a Top 15 pick. Todd and his staff and those guys feel the same way.”
A hefty Name, Image and Likeness deal, which CBSSports.com’s Matt Norlander is reporting was north of $2 million, played into Fland’s decision to commit to the Gators. But so did UF’s facilities and the chance for Fland to improve his draft stock on a winning team.
“Florida’s resources, their facilities, you know Boogie’s gotta transform his body and he’s gotta be more efficient at the rim,” Massaroni said. “I think both of those things, in Todd’s system, could allow for that.”
Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1. Read his coverage of the Gators’ national championship basketball season in “CHOMP-IONS!” — a hardcover coffee-table collector’s book from The Sun. Details at Florida.ChampsBook.com
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