Boogie Fland seems to be made for the big moment, for the center stage. He’ll get a chance to prove that tonight when Arkansas plays at the basketball mecca that is Madison Square Garden.

Fland goes home to play just south of his birthplace in the Bronx, the place where he earned a reputation that eventually spread across the country. He will be at the center of the most famous arena in the world. New Yorkers simply call it the garden.

“It’s going to be electric,” Fland said in an interview with his hometown newspaper, the Bronx Times. He called tonight’s game against the No. 14 Michigan Wolverines “must-see television.”

Arkansas (7-2) and Michigan (8-1) meet on ESPN at 8 p.m. It’s part of the annual Jimmy V Classic, in which the undefeated Tennessee Volunteers (8-0) – the new No. 1 team in the country – face Miami (3-5) in the first game on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m

Fland hopes to perform his best in front of a large group of family and friends traveling about twelve miles south of the Bronx. In the Bronx, he honed the game that made him nationally known, a 5-star recruit who is considered the best point guard in the country and the lynchpin of coach John Calipari’s star-studded career as Arkansas coach.

In the Bronx Times article, Fland said that Calipari cared about his players, but stressed that “nothing would be handed out, I have to take it.” And that’s how the world works.”

Moving to Fayetteville was a big adjustment, he said, but Fland called it “a change for the better” because the quieter life helped him focus on basketball. “I really like it here,” he said. “I love it. The fans are great, the people are great.”

Fland was asked last Tuesday, after he scored the Hogs’ final seven points in a 76-73 road win over Miami, if he was looking forward to returning to New York and playing at the Garden. The steadfast Fland defended:
“Just come out with a ‘W’, don’t change anything, don’t do too much. Just stick to the game plan and fall in love with what we do.”

Still, like any kid learning basketball on the playgrounds of New York City, Fland dreamed of playing in the backyard. He would love to do his best on the biggest stage he has ever seen.

But what makes the garden so special? Why was it once the center of the basketball universe? Well, here are a few reasons, starting with the fact that this is the fourth Madison Square Garden.

* The first was built in 1879, an outdoor arena without a roof, at 26th Street and Madison Avenue.

* A year later, MSG II was built on the same site, a magnificent architectural marvel with a 32-story tower topped by a statue of Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt.

* MSG III opened in 1925 on 8th Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets and became known as the home of boxing and college basketball, including the National Invitation Tournament, once more prestigious than the NCAA Tournament.

* Today’s Garden opened in 1968 in Midtown Manhattan between 7th and 8th Avenues, from 31st to 33rd Streets, and is located above Penn Station.

Over its 145-year history, the Garden has hosted two popes, five political conventions, the world’s biggest names in music and entertainment, the best rodeo in the country in several decades, thousands of boxing matches and more title fights than any other ring in history has been home to the NBA’s Knicks and the NHL’s Rangers for 100 years.

Calipari coached 27 games at the Garden during his Hall of Fame career and earned more victories than any other active coach. So he knows what it takes to win and make Arkansas successful. That means he has to rely on the freshman point guard.

“It’s hard for us to win when Boogie doesn’t play well,” Calipari said. “He has the freedom to do what he does in the way we play.”

Calipari relies on Fland’s instincts and intelligence to put the team in the right position on offense or to take the lead with his own shot when necessary.

With his speed and elite ball-handling skills, he can get open for a mid-range jumper or a floater in the lane and has the ability and toughness to finish at the rim. When the 3-ball falls, Fland shows the potential to become an elite scorer at three levels.

But — and there’s always a “but” with freshmen — Fland has shown inconsistency through his first nine games at the collegiate level. That’s not surprising, even for the consensus No. 1 point guard who graduated high school a year ago.

In his defense, Fland only turned 18 on July 10, so he’s young even for a rookie. He could still be a senior at Archbishop Stepinac in the Bronx. However, Calipari is thrilled that he’s a pig, whether it stays for a season or two.

“That’s what I think of him: triple-double,” Calipari said. What he means is that Fland has the ability to score double digits in points, rebounds and assists in a single game. That doesn’t happen often in a 40-minute college game.

“Did you see him grabbing rebounds? He gets some from the middle,” Calipari said. “And assists. That’s what I see in him. You know what, to be that guy… you have to work hard the entire time you’re in it. You can’t win playoffs. You can’t jog.”

Calipari made those comments after Arkansas’ win at Miami, when the Razorbacks rallied from an 11-point deficit. The Hogs finished the game on a 10-2 run, with Fland finishing the spurt with two free throws, a 3-pointer from the corner and a 16-footer after throwing the defender on his heels.

“Just keep going,” Fland said afterwards when asked about the comeback. “Basketball is a game about runs. They will make runs. They definitely made runs in the first half, and then they came back with more intensity and more enthusiasm in the second half.”

Fland scored 18 points and made 4 of 9 treys along with six assists and four rebounds. Fellow guards DJ Wagner (14 points, five assists) and Nelly Davis (12 points, five rebounds) helped the Hogs stay close until the final spurt.

“We had a lot of guys fighting,” Calipari said. “In games like this you step up and give yourself a chance. We gave ourselves a chance and Boogie made some plays down the stretch.”

Fland emphasized the team aspect, saying it’s important to stay in the system, even if Calipari wants him to take over at times and just make plays. All well and good, but what is he working on when it comes to improving his game?

“I feel like there’s room everywhere,” Fland replied. “I’m in college now, just doing the right readings and getting everyone else involved. You know, I’m a leader. I feel like I need to step up more (in a) leadership role, which is being the point guard.”

Tonight would be a great time for him to shine under the bright lights of the garden. After all, it’s something he dreamed of as a child.

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