Former Arkansas standout Boogie Fland commits to national champion Florida, AP source says
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Former Arkansas standout Boogie Fland, widely considered the top guard in the transfer portal, chose to play for defending national champion Florida on Tuesday.
Fland committed to coach Todd Golden following a two-day visit to Gainesville, according to a person familiar with his decision. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither side has announced Fland's decision publicly.
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Fland averaged 13.5 points, 5.1 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 21 games with the Razorbacks last season. The freshman from New York averaged nearly 32 minutes a game despite missing time with a right thumb injury that required surgery.
He returned for three postseason games before entering the NBA draft. He withdrew his name from consideration Sunday and made the visit to Florida.
Fland joins Princeton transfer Xaivian Lee and Ohio University transfer AJ Brown in Golden's revamped backcourt. The trio will replace Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard. The Gators also lost fellow guard Denzel Aberdeen to Kentucky.
With Golden at the helm for his third season in Gainesville, the Gators finished 36-4 and beat Houston to clinch the program's third national title. They won their final 12 games, including four in the NCAA Tournament in come-from-behind fashion.
Florida's style of play under Golden has drawn rave reviews, leading to sellouts in eight of the team's last 10 home games. Florida averaged 84.8 points a game this season after setting the program record (85.6) during the 2023-24 campaign.
Golden became the third coach this century to win a national title within his first three seasons on the job, joining North Carolina's Roy Williams (2005) and UConn's Kevin Ollie (2014). Williams and Ollie accomplished the feat in their second seasons.
Now, with Fland expected in the fold, the Gators could be favorites to repeat — especially if forward Alex Condon stays in school. The sophomore from Australia is exploring the NBA draft process.
Florida center Rueben Chinyelu announced Monday that he was withdrawing his name from the NBA draft and returning to Gainesville.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News24
33 minutes ago
- News24
Heinrich Klaasen calls time on international career: ‘It's a sad day for me'
Be among those who shape the future with knowledge. Uncover exclusive stories that captivate your mind and heart with our FREE 14-day subscription trial. Dive into a world of inspiration, learning, and empowerment. You can only trial once.
Washington Post
41 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Scottie Scheffler joins Tiger Woods as only repeat winners at Memorial
DUBLIN, Ohio — Scottie Scheffler is winning with such alarming regularity that describing his dominance is not a comfortable topic. So when he won the Memorial on Sunday for the second straight year, he at least had tournament host Jack Nicklaus at his side. Nicklaus is a great authority when it comes to Scheffler because the Golden Bear sees so much of himself in the world's No. 1 player.
New York Times
42 minutes ago
- New York Times
Man City pursuing deal to sign Rayan Ait Nouri from Wolves
Manchester City are pursuing a deal to sign Rayan Ait Nouri from Wolverhampton Wanderers. Agreements still need to be reached between the clubs and with the 23-year-old — however all parties now expect a move to happen. Ait Nouri has emerged as City's top target to strengthen at left-back after four impressive seasons since joining Wolves on a permanent basis, which followed a loan spell, from Angers. Advertisement Pep Guardiola's side are working to secure the Algeria international and further recruits before the Club World Cup in the United States this summer. Premier League clubs voted to approve allowing the window to open on June 1 before closing on June 10, with the tournament kicking off four days later. City face Wydad AC, Al Ain and Juventus in Group G of the newly-expanded competition. Ait Nouri has made 157 appearances for Wolves since joining the Midlands club, initially on loan, in 2020. He made 41 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring five goals and adding seven assists. Central defender Josko Gvardiol was City's most regular left-back before academy graduate midfielder Nico O'Reilly starred in the position over the final months of the campaign. ()
