Arkansas

No more Boogie: Set to enter draft | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Published

1 year ago

April 5, 2025

No more Boogie: Set to enter draft | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

FAYETTEVILLE — University of Arkansas freshman point guard Boogie Fland announced plans to declare for the 2025 NBA Draft via social media Friday afternoon.

“Thank you to all my fans and supporters, this year has been nothing short of unforgettable,” Fland said in an Instagram post. “Returning to the team for March Madness and competing alongside my brothers was an experience I’ll cherish forever. Much love to Razorback Nation, Coach Calipari & the entire coaching staff and every one of my teammates for believing in me.”

Coming out of high school, Fland had committed to Kentucky and followed Coach John Calipari from the Wildcats to Arkansas last offseason. He was a 5-star recruit out of Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, N.Y.

He started 18 of the Razorbacks’ 36 games this season, appearing 21 times overall. He averaged 31.7 minutes, 13.5 points, 5.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 turnovers per game. This week he was named a freshman All-American by CollegeInsider.com and was a finalist for the Kyle Macy Award for the nation’s top freshman.

Fland injured his right (shooting) thumb in a Jan. 11 home loss to No. 8 Florida and played through it for two games. Then he had his UCL surgically repaired and missed the next 15 games.

He returned for the NCAA Tournament and played in all three games of the Razorbacks’ run to the Sweet 16 off the bench — the only times he didn’t start in games he played this season. He totaled 52 minutes and 12 points. In an opening win over Kansas, he recorded three assists and three steals in 23 minutes of his first game action in two months.

Fland is at No. 44 in the Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft released March 31, dropping 17 spots from the previous release. He was knocked for his athleticism and size when finishing at the rim, yet lauded for his ball-handling, creation, shot-making and playmaking.

Teammate Adou Thiero, who was also injured and practically out for the last month of the season, was listed at No. 39 to the Toronto Raptors by the Bleacher Report. The junior has not officially declared.

Assuming Fland does not eventually return, it marks the fourth offseason departure for the Razorbacks.

Fland would then join the lengthy list of one-and-done players — 35 — Calipari has coached. Of those, 19 are classified as guards, like Fland.

Before this season began, ESPN predicted Fland would be taken 36th overall in the second round. The latest ESPN projections from mid-March had Fland at 38th, six picks higher than Bleacher Report.

Regardless of Fland’s destination, if it isn’t back with the Hogs, Calipari is already prepped with incoming talent at the point guard position for next season. Darius Acuff Jr., a 6-2 highest-rated point guard in the country, per 247Sports, signed his national letter of intent to Arkansas.

The NBA Draft will be held June 25-26 in Brooklyn, N.Y., across the East River from the Bronx, where Fland was born.

“To my family, especially my mom and dad — thank you for all of the sacrifices you’ve made for me to be in this position,” Fland continued on his Instagram post. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

Arkansas guard Boogie Fland makes a pass during practice March 26 at Chase Center in San Francisco. Fland, who helped lead the Razorbacks to the Sweet 16 in 2024-25, declared for the NBA Draft on Friday after one collegiate season.
(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)

Source link

Arkansas

Arkansas Governor joins national A.I. workforce initiative

Published

3 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Press Room

Arkansas Governor joins national A.I. workforce initiative

LITTLE ROCK, AR (KATV) — Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has joined a new national artificial intelligence initiative that launched Thursday, June 25.

RAISE US, started by former Governor Eric Holcomb of Indiana and Gina Raimondo, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce is a nonpartisan national organization that will partner with governors, employers, workers and training organizations to help the workforce transition to an AI economy.

“As artificial intelligence transforms America’s economy, we have one clear message: technology should empower people, not replace them. By leveraging our Arkansas LAUNCH initiative, and with the resources and expertise provided by RAISE US, Arkansas will turn that mission into reality. We want the Natural State to be a leader on education, workforce training, and up-skilling, and this new partnership gives us the tools we need to build a model for the entire nation.”

The organization will design and pilot incentives to retrain workers, new approaches to support job transitions, and training models tied to employer demand.

RAISE US launches with more than two dozen American companies and philanthropies and initial state partnerships in Connecticut, Maryland and Utah.

“America has a technology strategy for leading the global AI competition. It does not yet have a people strategy — and we cannot lead without one,” Raimondo, who will serve as CEO of RAISE US, said.

“If we build the best AI systems in the world and leave millions of Americans behind, we won’t have won anything; we’ll have automated our own decline. I believe AI will create new jobs and industries over time, but the transition could be disruptive, and it’s already underway. We shouldn’t fearmonger, but we can’t pretend our training and worker support systems are ready either. It’s time for innovative and practical solutions. This moment demands ambition, urgency, and creativity. We’ve assembled the country’s top companies, best economists, and bipartisan governors at a scale rarely seen — all to advance new ideas and incentives, pilot them with governors and business, and scale what works.”

Governor Sanders is partnering with RAISE US to support Arkansas LAUNCH, an AI-powered career navigation platform that connects students and jobseekers to personalized learning and employer-linked career pathways.

Source link