NEW YORK, NY — The 2024 Jimmy V Men’s Classic went down at the World’s Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden, Tuesday night, with No. 1 Tennessee defeating Miami, 75-62, and Arkansas upsetting No. 14 Michigan, 89-87.
In game one of the doubleheader, which was broadcasted on ESPN, Chaz Lanier, a fifth year 6-5 guard, of Nashville, Tennessee, led the way for the Volunteers, dropping 22 points and grabbing three rebounds. To cap off the night, the Razorbacks were carried by the hometown kid Boogie Fland, who grew up in the Bronx, New York, attending Archbishop Stepinac High School.
Longtime college basketball head coach John Calipari, in his first year at Arkansas, has Boogie Fland, and the Razorbacks firing on all cylinders early in the season – Image Credit: Arkansas Men’s Basketball
The dynamic Arkansas freshman guard, Fland, once dreaming of playing on the hardwood of Madison Square Garden, recorded 20 points in the win, along with seven assists and two steals at the World’s Most Famous Arena.
”It was a dream,” he said after the victory to move the Razorbacks to 8-2 on the year. “Growing up in the Bronx, to have the opportunity to come back and play in your hometown, get a W and show out with my teammates, it’s just no feeling like it.”
Boogie Fland is averaging 15.5 points per game this season across 10 games with 5.4 assists per game and 3.5 rebounds per game – Image Credit: Arkansas Men’s Basketball
Playing ‘right down the road’ from where he grew up, Fland, with ice in his veins, revealed that he had over 100 family members and friends in attendance for Tuesday night’s Jimmy V Men’s Classic.
“It was nice just for them to be able to see me play in person,” Fland stated. “Most of my career, they haven’t been able to see me. Especially being the first time at the Garden, and we get the win, it’s not more special than that.”
More from 2024 Jimmy V Classic
During halftime of each game, MSG’s state of the art centre multi-media display played Jim Valvano’s iconic speech from the 1993 ESPY’s — a speech still remembered and looked back on to this day. (You can watch here — Jimmy V’s speech during halftime at MSG)
During halftime of each game for Tuesday’s Jimmy V Classic, MSG played Jimmy V’s iconic speech from the 1993 ESPY’s – Image Credit: Robert Rizzo/Latino Sports
A speech filled with words that make you smile and others that make you tear up from the late colorful college basketball coach Jimmy V, who unfortunately passed away in 1993 at the age of 47 after a long fight with cancer — a month after his inspirational 1993 ESPY’s speech.
“And when people say to me, ‘How do you get through life?’ Each day’s the same thing. To me, there are three things we all should do every day. If we do this every day of our life, you’re going to … What a wonderful … Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think, you should spend some time in thought. And number three is you should have your emotions moved to tears. Could be happiness or joy, but think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.” -Jim Valvano (1946-1993)
Follow us on Social Media for updates and exclusive content
Instagram: @latinosportsoficial
Facebook: Latino Sports
Twitter: @latinosports
