GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida center Micah Handlogten, who horribly broke his left leg two minutes into Sunday's SEC championship game, will be available to watch his team in the NCAA tournament.
Handlogten, already using crutches while recovering from surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, will make the four-hour trip to Indianapolis with his parents to watch the seventh-seeded Gators play against Boise State or Colorado on Friday in the first round of the tournament.
Handlogten's presence is sure to provide an emotional boost to the Gators (24-11), who return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three years. It is the program's first appearance under second-year coach Todd Golden.
“For us, it's just about going out there and playing for him,” teammate Will Richard said Tuesday. “Micah has done a lot for this program. He's a great guy, a great teammate and a great worker.”
Handlogten was scheduled to fly back to Gainesville on Monday after having a rod and two screws inserted into his leg. But Florida officials arranged for him to stay there and rehabilitate before rejoining the team in Indy.
“It's going to be amazing,” Handlogten told the team's website. “I love the guys so much. They're my brothers. I couldn't have asked for a better group of guys to spend my sophomore year with, and I'm looking forward to spending my junior and senior year with them, too.” .
“People who know me know that I am a firm believer in God, and I can only trust him that everything is part of a plan. This is not a setback. This is an opportunity.”
Handlogten started 32 games this season and averaged 5.3 points and 6.9 rebounds. His production dropped late in the season when freshman Alex Condon reduced his playing time. Handlogten had more fouls (44) than points (43) in Florida's last 15 games.
Still, he was an integral part of the Gators' deepest forward rotation since they won back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007. He led the team with 108 offensive rebounds and ranked third with 29 blocks, and he will be missed.
“I think it's going to be a big boost for him and get his spirits back up,” Golden said Tuesday. “Honestly, he's in a pretty good mood, all things considered. A lot better than I would be, to be honest. But it's also going to be a big boost for the team. It obviously shook everyone up a lot. I think we're in good spirits.” I still feel it a little.
“But it gives us a great opportunity to bounce back in the tournament. … My hope is that the guys want to do everything they can to play hard for him on Friday.”
Handlogten had two rebounds against the Tigers and was trying to score a third when he landed awkwardly on his left foot. He immediately fell down in pain and rolled onto his side, putting his hands over his face.
Blood was visible on the back of his calf as trainers and coaches rushed to Handlogten's side. Handlogten's parents were escorted to the court from their seats in the stands. Her mother, Danielle, wearing her No. 3 jersey, knelt near her son's head as he was treated on the court with her father near her.
Handlogten's leg was stabilized with an aerial cast before he was placed on a backboard and carried off the court on a stretcher. His teammates came over to wish Handlogten well as he was carried off the court, and sophomore Riley Kugel was crying on the Florida bench.
Handlogten ranked 11th nationally, averaging 2.3 blocked shots per game, at Marshall, where he was the Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year in 2022-23. The 7-foot-1 center from Huntersville, North Carolina, transferred to Florida in hopes of reaching the NCAA tournament.
Now he will be there as an entertainer… and with a daunting road ahead.
“It's a long recovery, but I'm looking forward to it,” he said. “God will guide me and I will be a better player because of it.
“I'm going to come back better and stronger. I have something to work toward. I have a goal in mind and I'm going to work toward it.”
