Fland Both Star and Biggest Case to Bring Back Davis All in One

Potential limitless, but veteran former Razorback possibly key to maximizing it

Stepinac’s Boogie Fland (1) drives around Iona’s Joe Wolf (10) during the Crusader Classic. Fland recently committed to play for John Calipari at Arkansas. / Frank Becerra Jr./The Journal News / USA

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – There's a lot to like about new Arkansas commit Boogie Fland.

There may not be a more natural scorer in the country. He can catch and shoot in tight spaces. He can split defenders and get to the rim. His ball handling skills are at a high level.

Fland can create his own shot in ways perhaps no Razorback in recent memory has. He's a perfect mesh of Isaiah Joe and Mason Jones with a bit more quickness and a faster shot.

There seems to be no limit to where he can score and how it's going to happen. Fland is also cool and focused when it's time to pile up points on the scoreboard no matter how frantic the pace of the game may be.

However, much like most of the players who have come through Arkansas with the golden arches stamped on their resumes, there's a lot of AAU in Fland. He's raw and his game is incomplete.

His passing game is good with the potential to be great. Fland draws double and triple teams and still manages to break down defenses. However, a lot of the things he gets away with facing young boys who are typically bad at defense won't unfold as easily for him at the college level.

He will need to adjust to reach his full potential and the biggest area for growth offensively is developing a more natural feel and vision for when his teammates come open and how best to facilitate the play that is about to evolve. Fland will need to speed things up a hair in passing.

Right now he seems to see things develop and then reacts with passes. He will eventually need to feel what's about to happen and anticipate with crisp precision passes that will give his teammates that split second advantage that makes the difference in scoring at the college level. It's something that should come with time should he make it a priority.

While offensively Fland looks like a raging river ready to rip through the dam, on the defensive end, he is the best case for John Calipari to consider bringing guard Davonte Davis back. He appears to be operating on whatever limited natural instinct one has on the defensive end, but shows no signs of having been challenged to truly study how to play defense, which rests on the adults who brought him along on his journey to this point.

Fland will need significant work learning how to defend so he's not a liability in SEC play. All the way from getting down in a proper defensive stance that closes off dribbling and shooting opportunities, understanding defensive angles, proper footwork to processing switches on screens, there's a lot to do.

Right now there's nothing to suggest an average SEC guard can't blow by Fland rather easily. Calipari could really use a seasoned defensive veteran who's willing to get in the gym with him at all hours of the day and night to help his rising star take huge strides defensively.

This is why bringing back Davis may not be such a bad idea. He knows how to play relentless defense, has more SEC knowledge than probably anyone else in the league when it comes to locking down an offense, and hasn't met an hour of the night when he's not willing to get in the gym and work.

Fland has the raw talent to be a star. However, if he wants to be a superstar and potential Top 5 pick, this summer and early fall has to come with a relentless masterclass on defense.

If he can advance his defensive game to a fraction of what his offensive side already is, Fland could develop into one of the greatest players to ever put on a Razorbacks uniform. However, if he chooses to ignore the need to improve, it will be a repeat of a lot of what Arkansas fans saw last year with points going up on one end only to easily be given right back up on the other.

It's a decision that very well could determine whether Calipari's inaugural team in Fayetteville makes a push at playing for the national championship.

HOGS FEED:

• Calipari lands big target in former Kentucky commit Boogie Fland

• Arkansas NFL Draft prospects likely going in late rounds

• Hogs host former Mcdonald's All-American center

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