The Golden Child
Can Boogie Fland and Stepinac Take Ownership Of The CHSAA AA For The Second Consecutive Year?
Swarmed by eager young autograph seekers, devout Stepinac basketball fans, and New York hoop junkies, Boogie Fland is holding court.
It is an emotional Senior Night. One which even witnessed the Kentucky-bound Stepinac senior guard shed a few pre-game tears.
Fland would proceed to decimate everything in his way—turning in a surgical 29-point performance en route to a 73-63 victory over St. Francis Prep.
Even in a celebratory post-game moment, however, the 6-foot-3 Fland is still working.
Gracious with his time after he stuck four consecutive 3-pointers and kick-started Stepinac's balanced offense by scoring the team’s first 16 points, Fland is unfazed by all the attention.
Such is life for one of the country's most transcendent talents.
The Bronx native is constantly under a microscope.
In the pressure cooker that is New York and beyond.
Reporters are angling for a position to speak with Fland, to get him one on one.
Look, Fland has been in front of a microphone and the beaming lights of news cameras more during his senior year at Stepinac than most athletes are during the entirety of their careers.
He recently appeared on "New York Got Game" during an exclusive interview with host Dexter Henry, an anchor for New York Post Sports and SNY TV.
Back to Senior Night.
Fland takes his time, penning his signature for children as they flock to him in droves.
He exchanges pleasantries with program supporters.
He speaks with fellow New York City native Orlando Antigua, Kentucky's assistant coach, for about five minutes.
As he retreats to the locker room, a new group suddenly arrives. Each excitedly asks for a picture with Fland.
He doesn't flinch, taking one picture after another.
Then, at long last, Fland is finally able to break free.
Downstairs in the locker room, Fland talks about the whirlwind of emotions hovering over his head.
He talks about the surreal feelings of the night, which hit him like a bucket of water.
He touches the nostalgia of the moment. Of being cognizant this is the last home game of his career.
The extra juice Fland had for this game, in actuality, came well before he even entered the gym on 950 Mamaroneck Ave. in White Plains.
“I get the text in the morning (that Coach John Calipari) is coming to my game,” Fland said.
“Put a smile on my face. Right in class. I’m in the middle of doing work. I get the text…I’m like ‘Ok…Showtime.’ I had to put on a show.”
KING OF NEW YORK
It is hard to infiltrate the mindset of one of the country's best point guards.
Pinpointing the motivational sources fueling Fland's play isn't an exact science.
He's driven by an insatiable drive to win.
The five-star recruit and McDonald's All American is known for his killer-esque flair for the end game. He's developed a knack for producing on elevated stages.
This was evident during Fland’s wild 30-point performance, as he catapulted Stepinac to a city championship over Cardinal Hayes last season.
"Everything clicked, I was dialed in," said Fland, revisiting that benchmark win over a loaded Hayes team then featuring Ian Jackson (North Carolina), Elijah Moore (Syracuse), and menacing 7-foot shot-blocker Steven Solano.
"I was locked in from the start. Knowing how bad I wanted this chip...it meant everything."
Fland’s stabilizing influence was witnessed multiple times during the 2023-24 season.
There has been numerous go-ahead buckets under heightened crunch time pressure throughout his career under Crusaders head coach Pat Massaroni.
And, the recent the agony of a subpar showing during a 57-51 loss to St. Raymond in CHSAA "AA" Archdiocesan final at Mount St. Michael?
Fland appears to have converted any mounting, lingering frustration from that loss into sheer motivation.
In a resplendent bounce-back performance, Fland erupted for 43 points and tore down 11 rebounds during Stepinac's 60-53 CHSAA “AA” Intersectional quarterfinal win over Christ The King.
During the semifinal, Fland scored 21 points, doled out eight assists, grabbed six boards, and pick-pocketed three steals. Stepinac dismantled a gritty St. Francis Prep team, 73-52.
The Crusaders received notable production from sophomore guard Jasiah Jervis, who scored 21 points (8-for-11 FG, 4-5 3FG). Class of 2025 guard Danny Carbuccia set a loud tone with his ferocious lockdown defense, a critical component in the win.
On a Crusaders squad known for its layered depth (they employ 12 guys comfortably), Fland has been the bulwark and mainstay of this program.
Was Fland's talent there from the start of it all?
Massaroni was quick to cite a Covid-truncated 2020-21 season, harkening back on when he first knew these would be a memorable four years with Fland.
"I think it was right in that freshman-shortened season (for Boogie), in the best of 7 series against Iona Prep," Massaroni said.
"Plus the shortened spring CHSAA Covid...Then when we finished, he went to Team USA. I knew he could be special then. He has continued to work hard every single day. He has grown tremendously as a young man on and off the court."
Shooters Shoot
Whether preposterous or fair or unfair or debatable, there has long been a stigma associated with New York guards.
For eons, with NYC products such as Sebastian Telfair out of Lincoln High School, Kenny Anderson out of Molloy High School, and even Kemba Walker out of now-defunct Rice HS in Harlem being prime examples, pundits have pigeonholed New York guards as flashy scorers who are not knockdown shooters.
Fland has played his part in helping alter the narrative.
He opened up NBA 3-point range during the summer leading into his junior year at Stepinac.
As a junior, Fland put together numerous 3-point barrages—games in which he fired in from the parking lot.
Subscribing to the 12-month focus Massaroni has implemented at Stepinac while simultaneously playing a prominent role under Terrance "Munch" Williams with the PSA Cardinals on the prestigious EYBL circuit, Fland has grown in every facet of his game.
"Most who know Boogie Fland can tell you that he can make shots from all over the court," Williams said.
"What I've noticed and loved to see in his development has been his ability to make drives and finish at the rim. Combine that with him being a defensive stopper, who is rebounding at the highest level of high school basketball for a point guard. Needless to say, he's doing a great job rounding out his game and getting his team to the winner circle on a consistent basis...We all look forward to seeing what he decides to add next to his game.”
Fland chose Kentucky over Indiana and Alabama. He was inundated with a stockpile of high major offers.
It was during the summer of 2022 when Fland generated an uptick in national visibility, starting with EYBL Session I and II events in Orlando, Fla. and later Indianapolis.
When pressed by reporters all weekend during the Indiana event, following a 25-point game in a 53-50 victory over BABC, Fland circumvented a bevy of college questions.
He did not touch on who was recruiting him. He shied away from discussing which coaches he had been hearing from.
In fact, he was more stoked to elaborate on the returning core Stepinac was bringing back the ensuing season.
Fland spoke on playing alongside blur-quick Carbuccia, 6-foot-8 versatile wing Brayan Ritvo (who committed to Quinnipiac University last month), then rising senior Ben Lyttle (currently at Wesleyan), and others.
He emphasized team concepts and the culture at Stepinac, rather than delving into details about potential visits or college programs courting him.
"That is what is rewarding about running a program," Massaroni said.
"Credit to my staff and the people around him. (Boogie) continues to lead and show by example, but also care about "we" over "me."
LEGACY
Amid all the significant performances on national stages, all the individual awards and accolades he and his teammates have attained this 2023-24 campaign, Fland and Stepinac have kept their eyes pasted on the prize.
Through a steadfast, one game at a time approach, the Crusaders are hell-bent on winning back-to-back city championships.
…
Fland has long been a showman.
He's been capable of rocking a crowd since he was just beginning to walk.
He actually was given the nickname “Boogie” due to his routinely busting out dance moves as a child at family gatherings.
With a game predicated on a slick handle, innate ability to unfurl stepbacks and change directions while eluding defenders, such a nickname appears to be a fitting one.
Fland says he was drawn to basketball as a youngster. Growing up near Yankee Stadium, he quickly made the game his livelihood.
Now, with a CHSAA "AA" city championship at stake as Stepinac takes on Nazareth on Sunday, 3 PM at Fordham University, Fland has the opportunity to author a memorable final chapter.
"Going back to back would mean everything," Fland said. "We as a team, we as an organization, me as an individual…we would go down in history."