Syracuse Basketball: 5-star Boogie Fland one win away from NY state title

Syracuse basketball 2024 five-star target Boogie Fland and his teammates are just one victory away from claiming a state championship in New York.

The 6-foot-3 Fland, a consensus top-15 national prospect who is rated the country’s No. 1 point guard in the junior cycle per several recruiting services, was sensational on Saturday afternoon in helping lead his squad to a win.

Fland’s team, Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, N.Y., knocked off the Eagle Academy from the Bronx, N.Y., by a final count of 75-70, in the Class AA semifinals of the 2023 Tournament of Champions, which is put on by the New York State Federation of Secondary Schools Athletic Association.

In Saturday’s other semifinal, Long Island Lutheran High School in Brookville, N.Y., which is headed to the upcoming GEICO Nationals, defeated Victor Senior High School from Victor, N.Y., in a blowout, 81-52.

Syracuse basketball five-star recruit Boogie Fland aims for a New York state title.

Archbishop Stepinac and Long Island Lutheran will go toe to toe on Sunday, March 26, beginning at noon, for the New York state Tournament of Champions Class AA crown. This title contest will take place at Shaker High School in Latham, N.Y.

In the semifinals, Boogie Fland stuffed the stat sheet. Per a tweet from Archbishop Stepinac, he tallied 24 points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks in the team’s conquest of the Eagle Academy.

According to social media posts from various recruiting insiders and scouts, college coaches from Kentucky, St. John’s, Michigan, Seton Hall and other groups were among those who were at Archbishop Stepinac’s semifinal game on Saturday, when Fland balled out.

I did not see any mentions of Syracuse basketball coaches being in attendance, although as I reported not too long ago, the Orange coaching staff did watch Fland at another one of his recent games, and the ‘Cuse target certainly didn’t disappoint, generating 30 points.

During the 2022-23 season, Boogie Fland has proven stellar for Archbishop Stepinac. In February, he was named to the New York state Catholic High School Athletic Association “AA” All-League first team.

Syracuse basketball offered a scholarship to Fland in January of this year. He holds close to 30 offers from a variety of high-major programs. To me, it’s critical for the Orange to get him on campus for a visit for the ‘Cuse to have a shot here.

I have to imagine that blue-blood program Kentucky is going to be difficult to beat out for Boogie Fland. The Wildcats’ head coach, John Calipari, is obviously an ace recruiter. He was reportedly at Fland’s semifinal affair on Saturday.