Boogie Fland has been out of high school for months, but he’s studied himself into exhaustion all spring and summer.
“I wanted to become more of a student of the game,” Fland says. “That’s one of the areas I really focused on this summer, so there really wasn’t any time off for me.”
Such is the life of one of the top high school hoops prospects in the country. Fland, a 6’3” point guard, spent countless hours every week studying film to understand how to break down his strengths and weaknesses and formulate and execute scouting reports.
“He did a great job of that,” says Fland’s PSA Cardinals (N.Y.) director/coach Terrance “Munch” Williams. “He’s seeing the game at a different level now, and what really separates him is just the concept of winning.
"He’s not the kid that’s out there just playing for stats, and he plays both ends of the court at a high level. He’s consistently approaching the game as a guy who tries to play the game the right way at all times and that’s the thing that will help him the most now and in the future.”
That approach translated into the most productive summer of Fland’s career. He averaged 17 points, five rebounds and five assists for the PSA Cardinals in the Nike EYBL, which is widely regarded as the most grueling summer circuit in the world.
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The culmination of his stellar summer came on July 10, his 16th birthday, when he helped USA Basketball’s U17 squad bring home the gold at the FIBA U-17 Basketball World Cup, knocking off host Spain, 79–67. As one of the youngest members on the team, Fland served as a spark off the bench while often defending the opposing team’s best guard.
“It’s a moment that I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” says Fland, who averaged 4.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.1 steals a game for Team USA. “I mean winning the gold on my birthday was just crazy. I just feel like I grew so much from the whole summer. There were ups and downs, but I’m proud to say that I tried my best and I tried to do everything that I could possibly do.”
Fland’s relentless effort only made him more of a commodity among top colleges, with Kentucky, Michigan, Oregon and Kansas, among many others, all in pursuit. On Monday Fland picked up an offer from Auburn and his latest offer came from North Carolina Tuesday.
“I’m just taking it all in right now,” Fland says. “Those are great offers and great programs, so it’s just a blessing to be in this position.”
Fland has taken unofficial visits to St. John’s and Connecticut but has yet to take any official visits, a scenario that could change later this month.
“I’m gonna try and set some visits up later in August,” Fland says. “I lean on my coach for that, so we’ll see. I’m excited to start taking official visits though. I know that’s when you get the full treatment. You get a sense on an unofficial, but you get to see everything that you need to see on the official. I’ll be taking a good number of visits because I want to see everything. I’m in no hurry.”
Fland doesn’t buy into the growing backchannel whispers in the recruiting world that, as an underclassman, he should decide early to secure his spot as the popularity and talent in the transfer portal continues to grow.
“There are always gonna be talented players at whatever school you pick,” Fland says. “There are always gonna be guys there with more experience, so it’s all about earning your stripes and minutes. See, I’m different, I want to earn everything I get. That’s just how I think. I never want anything handed to me. I’ll work for it. I’m not scared to take my time with this process. I want to make the best decision and that takes time.”
