The last time John Calipari coached a guy called Boogie, DeMarcus Cousins helped Kentucky to the Elite Eight.
Calipari will get a chance to coach another in 2024-25 as five-star point guard Boogie Fland committed to Arkansas on Thursday. Fland, from White Plains, N.Y., a suburb of New York City, was a McDonald’s All-american and New York state’s MaxPreps Player of the Year.
Fland was previously committed to Calipari when the coach was at Kentucky. Arkansas hired him away from Lexington earlier in April about a week after then-Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman left to take the same job at USC.
Fland won a gold medal as a member of 2022 U17 national team that also featured Arkansas commit Karter Knox and former Kentucky guard DJ Wagner. Knox was previously committed to the Wildcats and Wagner is currently in the transfer portal.
Fland averaged more than 19 points per game while adding 6.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists his senior season, earning All-American honors. With his commitment to Arkansas, the Razorbacks have now landed 20 McDonald’s All-Americans in school history, including six in the last three seasons.