By JACOB POLACHECK
Johnuel “Boogie” Fland is unwavering in his pursuit of perfecting his craft.
The 6-foot-2, 165-pound combo guard out of White Plains, New York, has already elevated his status to one of the nation’s top guards, but his greatest aspirations still stand directly ahead of him, eying greatness at every corner.
“If you’re good at something you can master it,” Fland said. “That’s what I always say to myself.”
The first of his aspirations, to play Division 1 basketball, is well within his reach. Fland burst onto the national scene as a freshman at Archbishop Stepinac, a school filled with high-caliber basketball alumni such as Duke freshman A.J. Griffin and North Carolina sophomore R.J. Davis.
As Fland posted averages of 9.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, Archbishop Stepinac swept away its competition, going 7-0 in league play with a 7-2 overall record.
“We are excited for Boogie’s sophomore year and him being able to play a full a season compared to the shortened/limited season we had last spring,” Archbishop Stepinac head coach Patrick Massaroni said. “We have been talking about strides on the court, not only with his play, but being a great leader in everything he does.”
With clear elevations in his ball handling and leadership skills, the national public has gone all in on Fland with ESPN ranking him as the nation’s No. 14 overall prospect in the class of 2024 and schools like UCLA, Maryland, St. John’s, Pittsburgh, TCU, Seton Hall, Miami and Kansas State on his trail.
“I’m just looking for the program that fits me the best,” Fland said. “I don’t want to be somewhere I’m uncomfortable or where I don’t fit in. I just want to go to a program where I fit in and feel at home.”
This summer was much of the same. Playing with the PSA Cardinals on the Nike EYBL Circuit, Fland showed a flat out desire to will his team to victory, largely due to his intense preparation on his physical and mental tools.
“He was able to take a step back and understand the talent he was surrounded by and allow them to shine,” PSA Cardinals director Terrance “Munch” Williams said. “He was a leader who understood that winning was the only thing that mattered. I’m proud of that young man!”
With all this added attention and his name on the national radar, people still wonder how the nickname ‘Boogie’ came to be. And that can be directly traced back to his childhood, freestyling to music at parties as his family circled around him.
“Go Boogie, Go Boogie,” his family would chant. And with dreams of making the NBA, winning NBA Rookie of the Year and winning an NBA Finals MVP, Boogie is hoping to hear the same chants on basketball’s biggest stage in years to come.
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