2025 NBA Draft: Johnuel "Boogie" Fland Set to Lead Arkansas Basketball Into New Era

The Archbishop Stepinac star combo guard committed to John Calipari at Kentucky, and followed him to Arkansas. What does his ceiling look like with this hyper-talented team?

Apr 2, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; McDonald's All American East guard Johnuel Fland (00) shoots a three point basket during the first half against the McDonald's All American West at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Though he stands at just 6-foot-2, don't let that fool you – Johnuel "Boogie" Fland will play a major role in the success of this year's brand-new iteration of the Arkansas Razorbacks.

After John Calipari's departure and the mass exodus of players and commitments from Kentucky, the Archbishop Stepinac (NY) star followed suit, asking out of his National Letter of Intent from Big Blue Nation to follow the iconic college basketball figure across the Southeastern Conference to Fayetteville.

Joining an absolutely loaded team featuring high-level transfers like Johnell Davis (shooting guard, Florida Atlantic), Jonas Aidoo (forward, Tennessee), and Adou Thiero (forward, Kentucky), Fland will still play a major role on this Arkansas team as a talented combo guard that can straight-up shoot the basketball.

One of the best in the class at shooting off of the bounce, Fland is a really dynamic offensive player who handles the ball well with both hands and can slot into either guard position. Ideally, he will play more of a lead-initiator role in the context of being a prospect for the 2025 NBA Draft, but the scoring upside is so great that it may not really matter.

At just 175 pounds, he is slight of frame in addition to the height issue, but plays with such an undeniable swagger and confidence, willing to let it fly from nearly any distance – contested or uncontested. Now, this does lead to problems with shot selection, as his shotmaking ability is so great that it can result in his taking (but often making) very difficult looks.

Equipped with an excellent handle and a wicked step-back jump shot, Fland has the game of a prototypical scoring guard at the college and the NBA level. His Synergy Sports statistics indicate that he is an elite scorer by efficiency as well, or at least was playing for Stepinac. He averaged 1.33 points per jump shot, putting him in the 92nd percentile in this category.

His points per shot above expectation was an astounding 0.38, meaning the shotmaking doesn't just look good on tape – it translates to the advanced stats, too. What will be interesting to monitor will be his minutes, as this Arkansas team does have options at guard.

Other than Fland, the two other featured guards at this point are the aforementioned Nelly Davis, as well as Kentucky transfer DJ Wagner. It doesn't really matter who starts, and matters much more who closes games; from watching tape, talking to sources, and looking at advanced stats, it seems clear that Fland will be one of the primary pieces on this roster.

He has shown he can create offense for others as well, despite his specialty being scoring. This will be the primary test for him at the collegiate level, as being an undersized scoring guard does not necessarily always translate to the NBA.

However, if he can continue to develop as a true all-around offensive piece, one that can score and set others up, Boogie Fland could end up being a very high draft pick in a class that has been repeatedly crowned as one of the best in recent memory.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.