Jack's Take: Boogie Fland A Big Miss, But Sky is Not Falling For Indiana
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Five-star guard Boogie Fland committed to Kentucky on Friday, representing a big swing and a big miss from Indiana coach Mike Woodson on the recruiting trail.
Since taking over in 2021, Woodson has held the belief that Indiana should sit at the table with the nation’s top recruits. He’s done that successfully in some cases, landing five-star recruits in three consecutive classes: Liam McNeeley, Mackenzie Mgbako and Jalen Hood-Schifino.
Woodson has elevated Indiana’s stance in recruiting, a clear positive in the program’s big-picture outlook. Misses are inevitable when going against top programs for the top high school players every year, especially when the competition is Kentucky coach John Calipari and his track record with NBA guards. That’s the nature of these high-profile recruitments, ones Woodson should continue to aim for.
“That's not to say you're going to get them,” Woodson said. “But if you're not sitting there, then you don't have an opportunity at all.”
To be clear, there's no celebration for Indiana being the runner-up for Fland. In practice, it has the same effect on next year’s team as finishing third or seventh or never recruiting him at all. Indiana will not have a player who some believe is the top high school point guard in America, and that’s what matters.
It’s especially concerning when considering Indiana’s backcourt for next season. Xavier Johnson won’t get a seventh year of eligibility, and the situation would be even more dire if Trey Galloway chooses not to use his fifth year. Even if Galloway returns, Indiana’s guard rotation would include Gabe Cupps, Jakai Newton, CJ Gunn and potentially Anthony Leal, each of whom are currently unproven at the college level.
Woodson has spoken highly of Cupps ahead of the 2023-24 season, and his importance to the program has grown even greater after missing out on Fland. Newton is an exciting player too, but his knee injury has cast uncertainty in the early stages of his career. Much will depend on how their freshman seasons go, but Indiana will have to reach into the transfer portal for one or more guards for the 2023-24 season, because high school recruiting options are running low.
Indiana cast a wide net in the 2024 recruiting class, offering scholarships to 31 players, 16 of which were ranked in the top 50, per 247 Sports. Some remain uncommitted, and Indiana more recently narrowed its focus to McNeeley, Fland and Derik Queen, thus purposely eliminating itself from some recruitments. Woodson was never going to take more than four or five players in this class, but in a sense, Indiana is 1-for-31 in 2024.
The one, McNeeley, was a massive win. As a versatile, three-level scorer who can also defend, he’s a building block. Queen, who’s teammates with McNeeley at Montverde Academy, would have a similar impact. And if Indiana lands two top-15 players, that softens the sting of losing Fland, and the class should still be considered a success.
But now, Woodson has nowhere else to look other than Queen. The Baltimore native has an official visit scheduled to Maryland this weekend, which has long been considered the favorite. Having a close friend and teammate like McNeeley should help Indiana’s efforts, but that’s far from the only factor at play.
If Indiana is unable to land Queen, it could end up with a one-man freshman class in 2024. Though 41 players within the top 150 remain uncommitted, it would be difficult but not impossible for Indiana to re-enter a recruitment this late and expect to come out on top. The only uncommitted guards Indiana has offered are Dylan Harper and Travis Perry, though Indiana would have to make up serious ground against Rutgers and Kentucky, respectively, among others.
In past eras of college basketball, bringing in just one freshman would be a concerning sign for the future health of any program. But that’s not necessarily the case anymore, due to the prominence of the transfer portal.
Woodson has shown a willingness to use the transfer portal to varying degrees. When he took the job, he brought in starters Xavier Johnson and Miller Kopp, backup big Michael Durr, and convinced a large portion of the roster to stay in Bloomington through the coaching change.
Woodson didn’t use the transfer portal to complete the 2022-23 roster because it wasn’t necessary. Then he supplemented the front court with Kel’el Ware, Payton Sparks and Anthony Walker this offseason. He’s also been successful in short-term high school recruitments, landing Tamar Bates, Malik Reneau and Mackenzie Mgbako in three consecutive classes after they decommitted from their original colleges.
In short, the transfer portal and elimination of the one-year sit-out rule has given coaches much more flexibility than they’ve had in the past. Woodson has that flexibility, and he’ll have to use it to bolster the roster before the 2024-25 season.
Indiana will lose Johnson and Anthony Walker to graduation, and Mgbako and Kel'el Ware are projected NBA draft picks. If Galloway returns and no one transfers, that would leave a nine-man roster. Landing Queen would make it 10, leaving three open scholarships for the transfer portal. Very few schools, if any, play more than a 10-man rotation, too. A lot can change by the start of next season, but Woodson still has the program headed in the right direction.
On its own, losing Fland to Kentucky was a huge missed opportunity for Woodson to bring in an elite guard – the kind who helps teams make deep NCAA Tournament runs.
With McNeeley, without Fland, and with Queen as the last target, it's not time to panic, but Woodson's margin for error in high school recruiting has evaporated. And that’s the nature of taking big swings in recruiting.
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