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GAINESVILLE — Florida veteran center Micah Handlogten plans to enter the transfer portal when it opens Tuesday, a source confirmed, after three seasons featuring a national championship and two SEC titles for the Gators.
The 7-foot-1, 260-pound Handlogten averaged 4.2 points and six rebounds — 2.8 on the offensive end — while also blocking 69 shots during 86 games, including 34 starts at UF.
But the Lake Norman, N.C., native’s most meaningful contribution came during the Gators’ run to the 2025 SEC and NCAA tournament titles.
After suffering a gruesome compound fracture of left lower leg March 17, 2024 against Auburn in the SEC Tournament championship game, Handlogten appeared destined to redshirt. Instead, he returned in mid-February and provided a valuable interior presence during the postseason, averaging 2.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 13.2 minutes while recording 10 blocked shots in 16 games.
Handlogten, who transferred from Marshall in the spring of 2023, seeks a NCAA eligibility waiver because he played in just 40% of Florida’s games.
This past season, Handlogten averaged 4.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 14.3 minutes to helping anchor one of the nation’s top frontcourt. The Gators led the nation with an average of 45.14 rebounds, 2.5 more per game than second-place Arizona (42.64), and dominated opponents inside en route the SEC regular-season title.
Golden’s squad earned one of four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, but fell to Iowa 73-72 during the second round in Tampa.
Handlogten’s departure leaves the Gators’ interior game with significant questions on the eve of the portal opening. Junior power forward Alex Condon and redshirt junior center Rueben Chinyelu could return for a fourth college season, but may again explore their professional futures, as they did in 2025.
The 6-foot-11, 236-pound Condon averaged 15.1 points and 7.5 rebounds and led Florida with 48 blocked shots, but shot just 17% from 3-point range — a skill NBA teams covet at his position.
The 6-foot-10, 265-pound Chinyelu led power-conference players with an average of 11.2 rebounds and set a school-record with 19 double-doubles. However, he continues to develop offensively and ended his breakout season with a zero-point, one-rebound, four-foul performance against Iowa.
Star forward Thomas Haugh, a first-team All-SEC and third-team All-America selection, is projected as a possible lottery pick in the NBA draft. The 6-foot-9, 215-pound junior averaged a team-leading 17.1 points, along with 6.1 rebounds, but struggled shooting during the SEC and NCAA tournaments, shooting just 16-of-43 from the field (37%), including 3-of-18 from 3-point range (16.7%).
At the end of March, 7-foot-9 redshirt freshman Olivier Rioux announced he was also entering the transfer portal. The 20-year-old spent two seasons at UF, becoming the tallest player to participate in a college game this past season.
Edgar Thompson can be reached at [email protected]
Continue reading...
The 7-foot-1, 260-pound Handlogten averaged 4.2 points and six rebounds — 2.8 on the offensive end — while also blocking 69 shots during 86 games, including 34 starts at UF.
But the Lake Norman, N.C., native’s most meaningful contribution came during the Gators’ run to the 2025 SEC and NCAA tournament titles.
After suffering a gruesome compound fracture of left lower leg March 17, 2024 against Auburn in the SEC Tournament championship game, Handlogten appeared destined to redshirt. Instead, he returned in mid-February and provided a valuable interior presence during the postseason, averaging 2.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 13.2 minutes while recording 10 blocked shots in 16 games.
Handlogten, who transferred from Marshall in the spring of 2023, seeks a NCAA eligibility waiver because he played in just 40% of Florida’s games.
This past season, Handlogten averaged 4.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 14.3 minutes to helping anchor one of the nation’s top frontcourt. The Gators led the nation with an average of 45.14 rebounds, 2.5 more per game than second-place Arizona (42.64), and dominated opponents inside en route the SEC regular-season title.
Golden’s squad earned one of four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, but fell to Iowa 73-72 during the second round in Tampa.
Handlogten’s departure leaves the Gators’ interior game with significant questions on the eve of the portal opening. Junior power forward Alex Condon and redshirt junior center Rueben Chinyelu could return for a fourth college season, but may again explore their professional futures, as they did in 2025.
The 6-foot-11, 236-pound Condon averaged 15.1 points and 7.5 rebounds and led Florida with 48 blocked shots, but shot just 17% from 3-point range — a skill NBA teams covet at his position.
The 6-foot-10, 265-pound Chinyelu led power-conference players with an average of 11.2 rebounds and set a school-record with 19 double-doubles. However, he continues to develop offensively and ended his breakout season with a zero-point, one-rebound, four-foul performance against Iowa.
Star forward Thomas Haugh, a first-team All-SEC and third-team All-America selection, is projected as a possible lottery pick in the NBA draft. The 6-foot-9, 215-pound junior averaged a team-leading 17.1 points, along with 6.1 rebounds, but struggled shooting during the SEC and NCAA tournaments, shooting just 16-of-43 from the field (37%), including 3-of-18 from 3-point range (16.7%).
At the end of March, 7-foot-9 redshirt freshman Olivier Rioux announced he was also entering the transfer portal. The 20-year-old spent two seasons at UF, becoming the tallest player to participate in a college game this past season.
Edgar Thompson can be reached at [email protected]
Continue reading...
