Draft prospect Boogie Fland: ‘When the game’s on the line, I want the ball in my hands – that’s where I thrive’

Boogie Fland: I mean, they were showing, it was hot hedging. So just swinging the ball, swinging it from one side to the other, and then getting it back and then play it down the stretch. I mean, that’s all I can do, just try to get the W for my team.

BF: I mean, it shows us what we can do, what we can be. We dropped out of the Top 25, we’re just trying to get back into it and keep trying to flow with the team.

BF: Spirit, intensity, just picking it up. When we go up, having that love for each other, and just trying to find our way. It’s still early in the season, trying to get better every day, game by game.

BF: Just keep going, I mean, basketball’s a game of runs. They’re gonna make runs, or definitely did make runs in the first half. Just come back second half with more intensity, more spirit, and just keep going throughout the game.

BF: I mean, just like you said, playing back in New York, my hometown, just coming out with a W there. I’m not changing anything, not going to much. Just stay with the game, playing to fall in love with what we do.

BF: I mean, that’s basketball. Basketball’s a team sport. Can’t do it by yourself, it’s fine with the people on the floor. Just staying with them is what we do. Staying with the team.

BF: I mean, it’s just a mindset. I’ve been doing this my whole life. This is what I have to work with,  I’m not preparing for this. I have to for the team also. It’s the only thing we do.

BF: I mean, it’s just side execution, sticking with it, holding my follow through. Stuff like that. There’s little answers that you gotta do to keep the shot from perfection. I just feel like I gotta stick with it.

BF: Most definitely, it’s a long season. We’re trying to find our groove. This is game number eight. It’s still a long season to go. I feel like, like you said, just scratching the surface. Staying confident out there. When the shot’s not falling, what else can you do? But just keep shooting.

BF: Of course, those teams I feel like that get put into these situations, make it far in March Madness, and I feel like that’s what we wanna do.

BF: I mean, just keep going. Every game is a hard game. You gotta come to it with the same intensity, same spirit. You gotta get up for every game. You have a bad game, you gotta keep going. You just gotta keep going. It’s a long season. Keep working.

BF: Definitely didn’t get down. I feel like Illinois was like a wake-up moment for us. I feel like we were lackadaisical through the start. They came out fine. They came out wanting it more than us. They were just hungrier, and that woke us up.

BF: I feel like there’s room for improvement everywhere. I’m in college now, so just making the right reads, getting everybody else involved, being a leader. I feel like I got to step up more as a leader role, especially being a freshman and having a point guard role for a big, big team.