In less than 24 hours, the Hogs landed a couple of 5-star recruits

Arkansas has doubled the number of players on the 2024-25 roster in less than 24 hours. Five-star recruits Boogie Fland and Billy Richmond III have flipped their commitments from Kentucky to Arkansas.

The Fland commitment was the first to be reported on Thursday evening. Initially, the White Plains, NY, native was committed to Kentucky but requested out of his national letter of intent shortly after John Calipari left for Arkansas.

The myth circulating social media that Coach Calipari’s move away from the Kentucky brand was a mistake is being shattered before our eyes. When Fland committed to Calipari at Kentucky, he chose the Wildcats over Indiana and Alabama. Arkansas was never on his mind. It’s looking more and more like Coach Cal was the brand for the last few years, not the program.

During his senior year in high school, Fland averaged 19.3 points per game, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein wrote this about the fourth-ranked all-time Arkansas commit:

"Fland is a skilled guard whose biggest asset is his ability to shoot the basketball. Like few other players in high school basketball, he has an ability to heat up and start making tough shots from long-range. However, his willingness to settle for those tough shots can impact his efficiency. The 30% he shot from behind the three-point line in EYBL came in direct correlation to his shot selection, since he’s undoubtedly a better shooter than those numbers indicate… Overall, Fland is a skilled shooter, who bases his game off his ability to make tough shots right now. As he continues to build up his body and learns to impact the game in other ways, he's only going to become more efficient."

Fland was a.993 rated five-star per 247Sports composite rankings and one of the six pieces in the Wildcats’ now defunct No. 2 ranked recruiting class. Earlier this week, Arkansas grabbed another one of those pieces in Karter Knox and followed up with another this morning.

The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that Billy Richmond III also called the Hogs early this morning.

In some ways, Richmond is moving closer to home. He played high school ball at Camden High School in Camden, NJ, but he’s originally from Memphis, just across the Mississippi from Arkansas.

At Camden, he averaged 17.6 points, 734 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.5 steals a game. He’s rated slightly less than his counterpart above, but he’s still a .991 five-star, according to 247Sports Composite. Here’s what Finkelstein has to say about Richmond:

"Richmond is a big and athletic lefty wing with developing guard skills. He’s highly competitive and plays with a high-motor and attacking mentality. Athletically, he runs very well, is an explosive leaper, and can rise-up through contact with a lot of sheer force. He has a naturally stronger frame, in both his upper and lower body, and plenty of room to keep adding muscle. He plays a drive-first style with the ball in his hands. He gets downhill extremely well when driving to his dominant left side, is a constant threat to make a big play in transition, and capable of finishing with a variety of power, explosiveness, and touch… Defensively, he utilizes his physical tools and competitiveness to be a playmaker, both on and off the ball, but may not necessarily have as much length as advertised. He’s also a solid wing rebounder who likes to take the ball off the glass and start the break himself."

Three five-stars in the last three days is a lot to take in, but Calipari still has work to do. Currently, Arkansas has four players committed to play next season, with nine remaining slots to fill.