NCAA basketball star and Bronx native Boogie Fland to play tournament at Madison Square Garden – Bronx Times

Bronx native Johnuel “Boogie” Fland, who plays basketball for the University of Arkansas as one of the top freshman standouts, is headed to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday for a tournament game he called “must-see TV.” 

“It’s gonna be electric,” said Fland in an interview with the Bronx Times. 

The Jimmy V Classic — a doubleheader tournament named for legendary coach Jim Valvano, who died of cancer in 1993 at age 47 — will be played at MSG as part of Jimmy V Week, which raises money for cancer research. Miami and Tennessee play at 6:30 p.m. with Arkansas taking on Michigan afterwards at 9 p.m. The games will air on ESPN.

Arkansas has a 7-2 record as of Dec. 7 and is 14th in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Michigan Wolverines are 7-1, ranked seventh in the Big Ten. 

The Jimmy V Classic may be a rare chance for New Yorkers to see Fland play before he is drafted into the NBA — which is all but certain to happen next year. 

In his young college career, he has already turned plenty of heads. He came to Arkansas as a top-rated point guard out of Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, and his debut game against basketball powerhouse Kansas was “nothing short of spectacular,” according to Sports Illustrated. 

Fland also garnered recent attention for his clutch performance in the Dec. 3 game against Miami, where he scored 18 points, including a go-ahead three-point shot in the comeback win. 

Not bad for a kid from the Bronx, who grew up on East 170th Street and Grand Concourse playing AAU ball. Fland’s friends and family are still in the Bronx, and he makes it back to the borough pretty often, he said. 

Coming out of high school, Fland originally committed to the University of Kentucky, but when Naismith Hall of Fame coach John Calipari resigned to coach for Arkansas instead, Fland followed. Fland said he has a great relationship with Calipari. 

“He cares,” he said. “[Calipari] said nothing was gonna be handed, I have to go take it. And that’s kind of how the world works.” 

Moving to Fayetteville, Arkansas, was a pretty big adjustment for a Bronx guy, but Fland called it “an adjustment for the greater,” as the quieter life has helped him focus more on basketball. “I’m actually liking it over here, I love it. The fans are great, the people are great.” 

As a freshman, he is taking general classes and also thinking about restarting a clothing line he used to have, which he said expresses “the swagger that comes from being in New York and the Bronx.”

Fland said he juggles all his responsibilities by “staying focused on the main thing.” “I’ve been doing hoops and school for a long time, so I know how to balance the two,” he said. 

As for his NBA dreams, Fland said he has no ideal place to land — and wouldn’t even specify the New York Knicks. “Whichever [team] is best for me,” he’ll be happy with, he said. “I’m just happy I got myself into this position, to have a chance to even do that.” 

Of playing with the Knicks someday, “If it happens, it happens,” Fland said with a laugh. 

He wants to have a long career, be a positive influence on young people and meet more people in the basketball world. “Not a lot of people in New York have opportunities like these.”

His advice to young players growing up in the Bronx? “Just keep working, you know. These opportunities are created by the ones before you. … You got people rooting for you, and stay true to yourself.” 

Between the opportunity to play at Madison Square Garden and his NBA dreams likely soon to come true, Fland said he’s grateful to have come this far. “These are the greatest times of my life right now.” 

Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes