Boogie Fland scheduling visit to Kentucky, 'proud' to be recruited by John Calipari

Kentucky‘s top priority at the point guard position had one of the top individual performances of Nike EYBL Session I in Atlanta this past weekend. Recording more points than minutes in game three, PSA Cardinals standout Boogie Fland exploded for 31 on 9-16 shooting, 5-9 from three and 8-9 at the line to go with two rebounds, two steals and an assist with just one turnover in 28 minutes.

On the weekend, the five-star guard out of Harlem, NY finished with 12.8 points, 3.5 assists and 2.8 rebounds while turning the ball over just 1.3 times per contest. Overall, he shot 50% from the field, 33.3% from three and 81.8% at the line.

Big-shot mentality

He did it all with John Calipari courtside, the Hall of Fame coach soaking in the 6-foot-3 guard’s flair and confidence as he launched and converted tough shot after tough shot on grassroots basketball’s biggest stage. It was easy to envision him doing the same on college basketball’s biggest stage in Lexington.

“It’s a mentality where when you’re down there you’ve got to take those tough shots,” Fland said after his 31-point effort. “You’ve got to hit those tough shots in order for your team to get the W, and that’s all I’m thinking about is getting the W.”

Fland is rated as the No. 6 overall prospect and No. 1 point guard in the 2024 On3 Player Rankings. He’s thin, but plays with grit and toughness beyond his gifts as a pure basketball. Those include a knack for shot-making with a tight handle and elite court vision — the perfect floor general. He’s the kind of guy you want on your team with the game on the line in March.

Kentucky’s John Calipari and Orlando Antigua bouncing back and forth between Boogie Fland (@PSACardinals) and Karter Knox/Liam McNeeley (@fl_Rebels) pic.twitter.com/MBmIgOTxPy

— Jack Pilgrim (@JackPilgrimKSR) April 22, 2023

Do-it-all point guard

The kind of guy Coach Cal is actively recruiting to be on his team with the game on the line in March.

Take one exchange for example when talking to the media after his scoring explosion on Saturday. Fland was asked about his ability to do both as a point guard, getting shots for his teammates while also getting his own, as well. And if that’s what separates his game from his peers in the rising senior class.

“Most definitely,” he quickly responded. “I agree with everything you just said.”

No added context, no clarification or explanation necessary. He can just do it all, simple as that.

When asked for clarification on his own thoughts regarding what he brings to the table, he brushed off specifics about individual skills and instead embraced the mindset he plays with.

“A leader. That’s the main thing. I’m a leader,” Fland said. “I’m there for my teammates. I care about them. I’m more about getting the W even if I don’t play well.”

A busy recruitment

He showed off that leadership in Atlanta in front of college coaches to open the live period, Calipari among a countless number of interested parties front and center. The five-star guard remains “locked in” during games, trying to avoid paying close attention to the specific individuals there for his game, something that hurt his on-court production to open his high school production.

But he still notices the schools, keeping mental note of who continues to prioritize him along the way.

“I’ve been seeing everybody: Alabama, Oregon, Villanova, Louisville, and a couple of others,
actually a lot of others. I saw (Kentucky) in there too. They’ve been hitting me up.”

Kentucky makes a serious push

The Wildcats are seen as one of the top contenders in Fland’s recruitment, one of the few major bluebloods making a push. They extended an offer last July and have only ramped things up since then, including in-person trips to see him twice in March alone.

“They want to get me on campus,” the five-star guard said of Kentucky. “They want to get me the whole experience, and tell me they want me at their school. … It’s big (to be recruited by UK). You’ve got John Calipari coming to your games. He comes from a winning program. He’s known for winning, and what he’s done at Kentucky. You’re proud of it that he’s there watching you play.”

He gets graphics from the Kentucky staff highlighting the program’s endless NBA success, Fland’s end goal as a basketball player. And he’s seeing the current success former Wildcats are having in the Playoffs, also big to him as he navigates his recruitment.

“Most definitely,” he said. “It’s cool to see.”

He’s in the process of scheduling an official visit to Kentucky, one that nearly came leading up to the EYBL season, but couldn’t get worked out in time. With such limited time to practice and build relationships with the PSA Cardinals, he wanted to focus on that before worrying about college visits.

Make no mistake about it, though, a trip to Lexington is coming. Potentially in the coming weeks.

“We get a break between the second and the third (EYBL) session,” he told KSR. “It may be somewhere in there that we try to squeeze in three or four visits. That’s what I’m going to try to do.”

Other top contenders

Outside of Kentucky, he’s not sure who else he wants to see. North Carolina is still recruiting him, despite taking commitments from Ian Jackson and Elliot Cadeau.

“Yeah, I hear from them still,” he said. “They’re still telling me that they want me, and stuff like that. … I have a strong relationship with Ian Jackson. Me and Elliot are cool, but I haven’t talked to him like that.”

Rick Pitino is also making a move on him at St. John’s — the local program, playing the hometown hero card.

“Coach Mas (Steve Masiello), Coach (Rick) Pitino, they’ve been coming to the gym,” he added.

And Alabama likes him a lot, too, with Nate Oats making a serious push to land the dynamic point guard.

“They came to see me a couple of days ago,” Fland said. “Coach Nate (Oats), Coach Christian (Pino) tell me they want me at their school. I may come up for a visit, or something like that. They actually watched
all my games today.”

UConn, as well, now with a national championship in its back pocket to use as the ultimate recruiting tool.

“Coach Kimani (Young) Coach (Danny) Hurley were there (Friday). Coach Kimani was
there (Saturday). … They’re still recruiting me the same way they recruited me before (the title). Now they’re just picking it up. They were on that championship run. They were locked in with their team, so now they’ve been back to recruiting, and trying to recruit me.“

Decision timeline

The visits are coming and his recruitment is ramping up, full steam ahead on all accounts. When could a final decision come for the Harlem native?

“When I feel like it’s right. I don’t want to rush it,” he said. “But I don’t want to make it so late. But when I feel it’s right I’ll know it’s right.”

What will be the final determining factor in his commitment? How will he choose the right school for him? It’ll come down to the locker room chemistry and the vibe around the basketball facilities.

“A place where I feel like I adapt to the playing style. But the main thing for me is how we are in
the locker room,” he told KSR. “You don’t want to go to a school where it’s not so good, and you don’t have that much of a team relationship.

“I feel like when you’ve got it together, and you gel together it’s harder to beat you. UConn gelled together (during its title run). You couldn’t rattle them. They all knew where each other was at.”