March Madness continues on this Thursday through the weekend with Sweet 16 and Elite 8 play. The Florida Gators are no longer in the big dance, after a disappointing upset loss to Iowa in the Round of 32.
The Gators won the national championship last NCAA Tournament, and many picked them to repeat as the program has done so before. Instead, the program is now working to determine who will enter the transfer portal and who will not. One Gator and former 5-star recruit, Boogie Fland, has announced on social media that he will be returning to Florida for his junior season.
Fland did not have the sophomore season that he envisioned. He dominated during his freshman season at Arkansas before transferring to Florida. He went from averaging 13.5 points per game in 21 games to 11.6 in 35 games. His field goal percentage increased from 38% to 44%, so that is a great improvement there. Fland will be looking to turn into one of the best players in the country next season, as he has the skillset to do it as a two-way guard.
Fland is an elite defender, averaging at least 1.5 steals in two seasons. Fland stole 61 passes this season to average 1.7 per game, and had a career-high of eight steals … yes, eight steals, against Alabama earlier this season. He also ended with 15 points and eight assists in that 100-77 win. The fans know that type of player they are getting back, and they should be ecstatic, despite him not having the All-American type season he is capable of showcasing.
