Florida center Micah Handlogten reinforces Gators deciding to take court for first time in 2024-25 season

Basketball

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Image Credit: UAA

There were murmurs in late January that the Florida Gators would add a key reinforcement off the bench for the latter third of the 2024-25 season with junior center Micah Handlogten, who suffered a fractured leg about 11 months ago, being cleared to return to the court. However, when asked just two weeks ago, head coach Todd Golden said Handlogten would “probably sit out the rest of the year” and get a fresh start in 2025-26.

So much for that.

Handlogten on Friday declared that he will indeed play for the Gators this season — starting this Saturday when No. 3 Florida takes on South Carolina.

“I’m ready to get out and hoop for the Gators,” he said.

Conversation about Handlogten returning to the court picked up when he was shockingly added to an availability report before Florida hosted Georgia two weeks ago. The Gators team website also, accidentally, made public a prewritten story about the big man choosing to forego a medical redshirt so he could help the team this season.

Whether Handlogten originally suggested to the coaching staff that he was planning to return is unknown; however, Golden seemed to indicate three weeks ago that the player was at least considering such a move.

The 7-foot-1, 235-pounder has been physically cleared to play, though when one comes back from a broken leg, there is a lot more to consider mentally and physiologically besides bones healing.

Handlogten’s return is particularly timely given the Gators lost sophomore forward Alex Condon to a low-grade sprained ankle on the first possession of Tuesday’s 81-68 victory over No. 22 Mississippi State. With Condon expected to be sidelined for a couple of weeks — and junior reserve F Sam Alexis also set to miss Saturday’s game — Handlogten will be able to step right in and play significant minutes off the bench.

Handlogten averaged 5.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and nearly a block per game last season after transferring from Marshall. He has started 64 of 65 game across his two-year career and would have undoubtedly done so for Florida this season had he not suffered that gruesome injury in the 2024 SEC Tournament.

His absence opened the door for sophomore C Rueben Chinyelu to become a key cog in the Gators starting lineup. Chinyelu, a transfer from Washington State, is averaging 5.3 points, 6.5 boards and a block per game himself.

With Condon and Alexis out, Florida is entering Saturday missing 37.4 minutes, 15.5 points and 11.4 rebounds per game missing from the frontcourt. Sophomore F Thomas Haugh will likely start for Condon with Handlogten doing his best to replace Alexis’ minutes.

Redshirt senior guard Alijah Martin (hip pointer) remains questionable after missing Tuesday’s game.

While Handlogten had not played this season, he had been an incredible bench presence for Florida lending tremendous energy and support to his teammates from the sideline.

Even without Handlogten on the court, the Gators (21-3, 8-3 SEC) are off to the best 24-game start in program history and currently projected as a No. 1 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.