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As it turns out, it didn't take much convincing for composite five-star guard Boogie Fland to follow John Calipari from Kentucky to Arkansas.

On Wednesday, the 6-foot-2 guard from White Plains (N.Y.) Archbishop Stepinac took an official visit to Fayetteville and by the time he touched down back in New York on Thursday night he had committed.

Fland spoke to 247Sports a day before leaving for Arkansas and said that Calipari's approach was much the same as it was when he initially committed to play for him at Kentucky.

"Coach Cal is telling me the same stuff since he recruited me at Kentucky" said Fland. "He wants me to come play for him and come play at Arkansas."

Ranked No. 26 overall by 247Sports.com and No. 19 in the industry generated composite rankings, Fland is a versatile guard who can run offense, get others involved and score at all three levels. He is most definitely a scoring point guard and his high school coach Patrick Massaroni says Arkansas fans should be very excited about Fland.

"Arkansas fans are going to be excited for a player like Boogie," said Massaroni. " (He's) a three level scorer, extremely quick with the ball and has unlimited range. Who at times does not mind being a pass first type guard."

Fland is the second high school player from the class of 2024 to follow Calipari to Arkansas thus far and joins fellow McDonald's All-American Kevin Knox. He's not likely to be the last to do so and wing Billy Richmond looks like he could be the next in line.

Shortly before the beginning of his senior year, 247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein included this in his evaluation of Fland.

"Fland has spent most of his high school career playing off the ball, but has developed into a reliable secondary ball-handler who has become increasingly capable of initiating offense with the ball in his hands. He has pace with the ball, both in the open floor and coming off ball-screens, a good left hand, and has definitely gotten tighter with his handle over the years.

Defensively, Fland has the long arms, quick hands, and feet to be effective. He defends with a playmaking mindset that leads to a high steal rate (1.7/game), and has untapped potential as someone who can pick-up and pressure the ball away from the basket.

Overall, Fland is a skilled shooter, who bases his game off his ability to make tough shots right now. As he continues to build up his body and learns to impact the game in other ways, he's only going to become more efficient.

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WHAT ARKANSAS IS GETTING

One of the highest-upside guards in the 2024 class, Fland’s current battle is with consistency of performance. That said, when he’s good he’s great and the good outings have far outnumbered the underwhelming ones during his high school career. At all of 6-foot-3, Fland is incredibly skilled and is a certified shot-maker from all three levels, including three-point range, an area from which he’s taken over a number of high-level games over the years. While he’s long been known for his ability to score off the dribble, Fland’s handle has improved even more over the last year and allows him to play either guard spot and look comfortable while doing so. He still needs to add more muscle, but the fact that he’s one of the younger prospects in the 2024 class is encouraging on that front. Fland is comfortable leading an up-tempo offense and is at his best when not trying to do too much from a facilitation standpoint. Defensively, his length, IQ and wing-span should serve him well as he beefs up his upper body, allowing him to guard multiple positions down the road. Fland averaged 15 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.8 APG to go along with three turnovers per contest in 17 EYBL games this season. He shot 43% from the floor on the season. The Archbishop Stepinac star has shined brightly this spring as well, dictating pace and putting his teammates in position to succeed at this year’s McDonald’s All-American Game. Fland’s performance trajectory seems positive as he speeds toward the start of his college career at Arkansas.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE RAZORBACKS

Calipari being able to effortlessly move his five-star point guard from Kentucky to Arkansas says a lot about the level at which the legendary head coach intends to recruit at his new school, The efficiency at which he got this deal done is reason for heightened optimism. It certainly doesn’t seem like much of Calipari’s shine has faded now that celebrated head coach is without the backing of the Kentucky brand, as he clearly has the resources to continue swimming in the recruiting pool’s deepest waters. What takes place on the floor this season will do a lot to determine if this kind of recruiting success compounds, but landing Fland Is a good sign for Razorback fans hoping their new head coach will continue to sign the blue chip talent he routinely recruited at his previous stop.

COACH’S CORNER

“Boogie is an extremely talented player who has worked really hard to be in this position today. He will bring an ability to not only score the ball but compete, defend and get others involved playing on or off the ball. He has a bright future ahead of him and will have to continue to work to reach his dreams. His game continues to improve on a daily basis and he is an even better kid and human off the court.” -- Archbishop Stepinac head coach Patrick Massaroni

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Posted by RazorHawg

Member since Aug 2013

24365 posts

Posted on 4/25/24 at 7:22 pm to RazorHawg

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Harlem (N.Y.) Archbishop Stepinac four-star point guard Boogie Fland has committed to the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Fland, a one-time Kentucky signee, requested his release from his National Letter of Intent with the Wildcats after the departure of John Calipari earlier this month.

The Hall of Fame coach left Big Blue Nation to take the head job in Fayetteville. Karter Knox committed to Arkansas on April 22.

Fland is the No. 19 overall prospect and top-ranked point guard in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 3 player in New York.

A McDonald’s All-American, Fland pledged to Kentucky on Oct. 20, choosing the SEC powerhouse over Indiana and Alabama. The 6-foot-2, 175-pounder was set to become the latest touted guard to play under Calipari in Lexington, but is instead now set to come back on the board.

Boogie Fland Scouting Summary
“Boogie Fland plays with a New York flair. He has a good handle and is able to shoot the ball from each level. He has deep range off the bounce and will pull up if you give him an inch. He sees the floor well, gets his teammates in evolved, and takes care of the ball, valuing possessions. There is a floater game in there as well, with a one and two dribble pull-up. He will need to continue getting stronger, and he is a solid athlete and has average length. The confidence is sky-high, and the skill set is obvious. He has a comfort playing on the ball or off the ball in a two-guard lineup. Never afraid of the spotlight. Charismatic.”

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Arkansas basketball head coach John Calipari has picked up his second commitment for the 2024 high school recruiting class, as five-star guard Boogie Fland made his pledge to the Razorbacks according to multiple reports on Thursday.

A 6-foot-3, 155-pound point guard from New York, Fland originally chose Kentucky over offers from Alabama, Indiana, UConn, Florida, Kansas, North Carolina, Villanova and others.

Ranked as the No. 10 player in the 2024 class according to Rivals, Fland scored 17 points and added five rebounds and three assists in 22:02 minutes during the McDonald's All-American game on April 2.

Rivals' Rob Cassidy wrote that Fland could be "the highest up-side guard in the 2024 class."

"Fland’s current battle is with consistency of performance," Cassidy said. "That said, when he’s good he’s great and the good outings have far outnumbered the underwhelming ones during his high school career. At all of 6-foot-3, Fland is incredibly skilled and is a certified shot-maker from all three levels, including three-point range, an area from which he’s taken over a number of high-level games over the years. His handle has improved over the last year and allows him to play either guard spot and look comfortable while doing so. He still needs to add more muscle, but the fact that he’s one of the younger prospects in the 2024 class is encouraging on that front.

"Fland is comfortable leading an up-tempo offense and is at his best when not trying to do too much from a facilitation standpoint. Defensively, his length, IQ and wing-span should serve him well as he beefs up his upper body, allowing him to guard multiple positions down the road. Fland averaged 15 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.8 APG to go along with three turnovers per contest in 17 EYBL games this season. He shot 43% from the floor on the season."

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Posted by RazorHawg

Member since Aug 2013

24365 posts

Posted on 4/26/24 at 12:54 pm to RazorHawg

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Memphis native and Camden (N.J.) four-star small forward Billy Richmond has committed to the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Richmond decommitted from Kentucky on April 16 following the departure of head coach John Calipari, who left Lexington for the same position at Arkansas.

Richmond is the No. 24 overall prospect and No. 9 SF in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Billy Richmond Scouting Summary
“Billy Richmond is a connecting forward prospect. Standing at a lengthy 6-6, he has a projectable frame that should continue to add weight and not lose fluidity or explosion. He is a good passer, sees the floor well and properly weight passes at multiple levels. The jump shot needs work as it is flat and the shot load is inconsistent. Richmond puts pressure on the rim from the wing. He can quickly turn defense into offense with his anticipation and aggression in the passing lanes. A switchable defender able to guard on the ball or slide down to defend bigger forwards. He moves the ball well and looks to punish the rim in transition. The jump shot will need development.”

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New Arkansas basketball head coach John Calipari has picked up his third commitment for the 2024 high school recruiting class, as four-star wing Billy Richmond made his pledge to the Razorbacks according to multiple reports on Friday.

Richmond, a 6-foot-6 forward out of Atlanta, Georgia, initially committed to Calipari and the Wildcats on December 21, 2023. He originally chose the Wildcats over the likes of Alabama, UConn, Kansas, Louisville, Miami, and others.

The news comes shortly after Richmond began his visit with the Razorbacks on Wednesday evening. He was on campus with fellow 2024 prospect and five-star point guard Boogie Fland, who committed to the Hogs on Thursday.

Many anticipated Richmond would follow Calipari to Arkansas given his close relationship to the Hall of Fame head coach. After all, Richmond's father played for Calipari at Memphis from 2003-04.

“The reason I picked Kentucky is because (there’s) a great coaching staff, (John) Calipari, he always keep it real with me,” Richmond said in an interview with The Athletic after his commitment to Kentucky. “That’s a big reason.”

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John Calipari and Arkansas basketball continued their recent momentum on the recruiting trail, landing highly-touted composite five-star forward Billy Richmond on Thursday. The 6-5, 200-pound small forward announced his commitment to the Razorback with a post on X (formerly Twitter). Shortly after, the university's account confirmed Richmond had officially signed with the program.

Richmond's decision comes after taking an official visit to Fayetteville on Wednesday evening. 247Sports has him rated as a four-star prospect, the No. 22 overall player and No. 8 small forward in the 2024 recruiting class. According to the 247Sports industry-generated Composite Rankings, Richmond is a five-star recruit and rated No. 25 overall prospect in this cycle.

The Camden, N.J. native committed to Kentucky back on Dec. 21 of last year, when Calipari was still the school's head coach. He chose to play for Calipari at Kentucky over offers from Alabama, Memphis, LSU, Kansas, UConn and Texas among others.

With Richmond's commitment, the Razorbacks are now up to four scholarship players for the 2024-25 season and have just nine roster spots needed to fill.

"Richmond is a big and athletic lefty wing with developing guard skills. He's highly competitive and plays with a high-motor and attacking mentality. Athletically, he runs very well, is an explosive leaper, and can rise-up through contact with a lot of sheer force.

He has a naturally stronger frame, in both his upper and lower body, and plenty of room to keep adding muscle. He plays a drive-first style with the ball in his hands. He gets downhill extremely well when driving to his dominant left side, is a constant threat to make a big play in transition, and capable of finishing with a variety of power, explosiveness, and touch. He's now creating for others at an increasingly frequent rate, but can be a bit turnover prone in the process.

While he's a little more controlled, and less dynamic, with the ball in his right hand, the biggest inconsistency in his skill-set is his outside shooting. He converted just 25% of his three-point attempts in the EYBL regular season and can be reluctant to take open shots. He has a naturally harder ball and some red-flags in his mechanics, but is more comfortable shooting off the dribble than the catch.

Defensively, he utilizes his physical tools and competitiveness to be a playmaker, both on and off the ball, but may not necessarily have as much length as advertised. He's also a solid wing rebounder who likes to take the ball off the glass and start the break himself."