Stay or Go: Arkansas Guard Has NBA Draft Decision to Make

The Arkansas guard is caught between college NIL and the NBA.

Mar 26, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks guard Boogie Fland (2) shoots the basketball during NCAA Tournament West Regional Practice at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images / Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Point guard Johnuel "Boogie" Fland was a high four-star recruit coming out of Archbishop Stepinac (NY) according to On3, garnering offers from Kentucky, Alabama, Michigan, Indiana, St. John's, UConn, North Carolina, and a host of other elite programs before committing to play for John Calipari's Arkansas Razorbacks.

His freshman season was an impressive one, as he averaged 13.5 points and 5.2 assists per game, leading the team in the second category and acting as a lead initiator for a Razorbacks squad that made the Sweet 16.

Though he was productive, injuries marred his freshman season, as he suited up for just 21 of Arkansas' 36 games due to a thumb injury sustained on Jan. 11.

He attempted to play through the ailment for the subsequent two games against LSU and Missouri (both losses) before sitting out the rest of SEC play. He made his eventual return in the NCAA Tournament, where he contributed a bit in a bench role, recording 12 points and six assists total over three games.

While Fland has some impressive attributes, mostly in his ability to facilitate an offense, he struggled with efficiency, recording a true shooting rate of just 49.8% for the year overall.

He is also undersized for an NBA guard – he stands at just 6-foot-2, and weighs 175 pounds. Typically, an NBA player under 6-foot-3 must be either an elite shooter or have an elite first step, neither of which Fland possesses necessarily. He struggled mightily at the rim as well, which lends a bit of credence to the theory that he could return to the collegiate ranks to improve before trying for the 2026 NBA Draft.

He did declare for the 2025 NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility, entering the transfer portal with a "do not contact" tag.

This action led many to believe he has a set destination in mind, likely his hometown team in St. John's, should he forgo the draft and play in the NCAA next season. Despite this rumor, many experts expect Fland to enter the draft, where he has been mocked solidly in the late-first or early-second round.

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