6. Boogie Fland – Arkansas
Fland is a 5-star recruit out of the Bronx who was one of John Calipari’s final recruiting wins before leaving Kentucky. However, the Top 20 prospect would follow Calipari to Arkansas last offseason and just completed his first collegiate season with those Razorbacks. Unfortunately, that year was cut short thanks to hand injury in late January, though Fland showed us plenty of potential in his 21 games on the court.
While healthy, he contributed during a nice bounce back season for the Razorbacks, putting up 13.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. He’s a dynamic backcourt weapon who can hit shots from all over the court and effect the game on multiple levels. Fland produces offense and should take a nice step forward in his second collegiate season with the right development and staff around him.
5. Desmond Claude – USC
A former Top 100 recruit, Claude began his collegiate career at Xavier, originally committing to play for Travis Steele before maintaining his commitment under Sean Miller. Claude showed potential off the bench as a freshman in a great season for the Musketeers but really shined after taking a step forward as a sophomore. Now a starter in the backcourt, he had a measured increase in performance, putting up more than 16 points per game.
After that underclassmen success, Claude hopped into the portal and found his next home at USC under new coach Eric Musselman. Claude carved out a big role in Los Angeles as well, averaging 15.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game as a starting guard for the Trojans. While USC itself had a mediocre season, Claude showed his talent and potential again. Now he’s looking to become a major factor on yet another team after finishing Top 15 in the Big Ten in both points and assists.
4. Jamir Watkins – Florida State
Way back in 2020, Watkins arrived at VCU and played two full seasons across three years with the Rams. A knee injury cost him his sophomore season but he came back strong from that injury, with his second season at VCU showing just what he could do on the basketball court at full strength. Florida State scooped him up in 2023 and reaped the benefits of a star forward on the rise, but his senior year was even better.
Despite Florida State’s really rough campaign, Watkins really showed out with 18.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game for the Seminoles. He was by far the best and most productive player in a tough final season under Leonard Hamilton. Watkins can hit outside shots, affect the game inside, and put up points in a hurry. He’s a major name still out there and we’ll see if he can match that production in a league like the Big 12, Big Ten, or SEC next year.