"Gator Boys stay hot," as the saying goes, which has never been more evident over the last 18 months for the Florida basketball program and head coach Todd Golden. It all started with the SEC regular season tournament and then on to the NCAA Tournament, where they won the National Championship. The good fortune is continuing with the recent signing of Boogie Fland. The Fland signing makes Florida the country's overwhelming preseason number 1 team.
The transfer point guard committed to Arkansas and head coach John Calipari after a decorated high school career that ended in the McDonald's All-America game. Fland entered the year as a projected lottery pick and surefire one-and-done player. Everything went according to plan in the first two months of the season, as he averaged 15.1 points, 5.7 assists, and 3.4 rebounds over 18 games.
On January 11th, the guard injured his hand. The injury required surgery and kept the star out of action until the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Arkansas had already figured out its rotation, and Fland was not getting much run in the tournament.
Even with the injury and the likelihood of being a lottery pick gone, Fland still decided to enter the NBA draft process while maintaining his college eligibility and entered the transfer portal.
It was always going to be a top program that landed the services of the point guard. Playing at a school that was going to win, playing deep into March, and having a lot of games on a cable network was always the plan. That is why Fland chose Arkansas and why he now chose Florida. Exposure is what gets players to the NBA.
Todd Golden has stayed winning during his time in Gainesville, and the signing of Fland shows that the rich continue to get richer. Fland will immediately fill in for star Walter Clayton and become a star in his own right. Likely a star who leads Florida to a top seed again.
The point guard was one of the best available transfers and has a skill set that fits in with what Florida is trying to do on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. However, Florida acquired the best point guard in the transfer portal earlier this year when they snagged Xaivian Lee from Princeton. Lee will likely be the starting point guard, giving Fland the chance to play the other guard position and creating more opportunities for him to score.
Lee is another guy who can play both guard spots. Having two players who can stuff a stat sheet like Fland and Lee can is an embarrassment of riches and something that no one else in the country has currently. Having two dynamic ball handlers who can set up the offense is never a bad thing.
There is a good chance that Florida will have the best offense in the country again, that it will win the SEC again, and that the Gators will be a top seed in the NCAA tournament again! Do you all see where I am going with this?
The Gators lost a lot of talent from last season’s National Championship team, but coach Golden reloaded in the transfer portal and has put his team in position to be in position when the season starts. Florida is going to be dangerous this year, and they will be overwhelming for most of the teams they play. Don't be surprised when Florida is the number one team in the country when the preseason rankings come out. Fland makes them that good!