Junior center Micah Handlogten has put on 25 pounds since he was 230-pound sophomore last year.
Handlogten Returns, Will Forgo Redshirt Season
Friday, February 14, 2025 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
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By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Micah Handlogten unexpectedly strolled into Friday afternoon's lightly attended basketball media opportunity at the UF Women's Club, stepped to the microphone and uttered two potentially season-altering words for the Florida Gators.
"I'm back," he said. Micah Handlogten
With that, one of the best teams in college basketball – albeit a wounded one, right now – added a 7-foot-1, 255-pound center to a front court that figures to be down both a starter and key backup for at least a week. Handlogten, who averaged 5.3 points on 62.2-percent shooting and 6.9 rebounds over 19 minutes last season before suffering a broken leg in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, will make his 2024-25 debut Saturday night when the third-ranked Gators (21-3, 8-3) face South Carolina (10-14, 0-11) at Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center.
"Micah is one of the most unselfish guys I've ever been around. He's always worried about the team and the program, and I think he saw another opportunity where he could really help and become a physical part of this as we move forward," UF coach Todd Golden said roughly two hours after learning of Handlogten's decision. "He missed out on playing in the [NCAA] Tournament last year. He was tracking on missing out with what this season was going to be. He deserves more than that. He was a big part of getting our program where it is today and I think he'll continue to help us get even better the rest of the year. It's a huge lift from us."
The plan, of course, was for Handlogten to sit out '24-25 and have two years of eligibility remaining, but circumstances – for both the team and player – have changed. Losing starting sophomore forward and leading rebounding Alex Condon (10.6 points, 7.8 rebounds per game) and reserve forward Sam Alexis to ankle injuries in Tuesday night's win at Mississippi State left the Gators perilously thin up front heading into the home stretch of the SEC season.
Three weeks ago, Handlogten toyed with the idea of rejoining the team for the second half of the season, but reconsidered the big-picture cost of burning a full season of eligibility.
"I'd be lying if I said that wasn't part of it," Handlogten said.
But watching his teammates upset No. 1 Auburn and No. 22 Mississippi State, and seeing Condon and Alexis injured and strolling the practice facility in walking boots, restarted the conversations Wednesday. The final decision, after discussions with his family, came Friday morning.
"I think the sky's the limit when everybody gets healthy," Handlogten said of his team. "I literally think we can win the national championship."
Translation: The Gators are going for it.
Micah Handlogten will trade in the sweatsuit he's been wearing on the UF bench all season and be in full uniform Saturday night against South Carolina.
"It's been a tricky time for him. I know he's been itching to get out there," Golden said. "Physically, he was ahead of the mental recovery, which is normal. I think the physical recovery was about as good as it could possibly be, with no setbacks, and being able to get back on the floor as quickly as he did, to play five-on-five as quickly as he did."
But, Golden emphasized, it had to be Handlogten's decision. The UF coaches and players – so devastated when he suffered the grisly compound fracture in the SEC championship game last March 17 – were going to support him regardless, knowing what Handlogten went through during a grueling rehab and how losing nearly an entire season of eligibility was at stake.
Ultimately, Handlogten weighed the pros and cons and the Gators became the beneficiary of a windfall.
"He's been through a lot the past year, but the way he's handled it, seeing only a smile on his face, we're so very proud of him, very happy that his stuff went well," junior guard Denzel Aberdeen said. "Just very excited for him to be back."
Florida began the day as the No. 7 offensive rebounding team in the country. Last year, Handlogten started 33 of 34 games and was the No. 4 offensive rebounder in the country, grabbing 17.9 percent of his teams misses, and best in SEC play at 15.9 percent. His ability to crash the glass from the weak side and keep balls alive with tips will lead to more possessions for an offense ranked No. 4 nationally in overall efficiency.
"It's not every day you can add a starting-level SEC player this time of the year," Golden said. "Let's be honest, it's probably going to take him some time to get back to his full self out there, but the great thing is the physical piece is there and he's been playing pretty well."
My mid-afternoon, the Gators were hard at practice in preparation for the Gamecocks. From the sidelines, Condon and Alexis cranked out reps on two stationary bikes under the watch of strength/conditioning coordinator Victor Lopez. From there, they watched as Handlogten ran, posted and rebounded, doing so not with the scout team, but with Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin, Thomas Haugh and the main rotational players.
After practice, with the gym mostly cleared out, Handlogten stayed behind to get up some extra shots and free throws, followed by a series of wind sprints by himself, as assistant coach Carlin Hartman looked on. When finished, Handlogten spoke briefly with a nutritionist, stepped on a court-side scale ("Lost four pounds today," he said), then headed to the training room for recovery.
Yes. He's back.
Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu
