TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Standing 7-foot-1 and weighing 230 pounds, Micah Handlogten occasionally found himself outmuscled during his sophomore season at Florida. That campaign marked his first year with the Gators after transferring from Marshall of the Sun Belt Conference. Despite those challenges, Handlogten proved to be one of the nation’s top rebounders, particularly on the offensive glass.
Against some of the Southeastern Conference’s most physical opponents — Texas A&M, Tennessee, and South Carolina — he sometimes had difficulty maintaining position, or as coaches put it, “guarding his yard.”
Fast forward to 2025, and Micah Handlogten has transformed his frame. Now at 255 pounds, thanks in part to the guidance of UF strength and conditioning coordinator Victor Lopez, he has added both size and strength during his time away from the court. His return wasn’t originally part of Florida’s season blueprint, but his presence has been a major boost for the fifth-ranked Gators (25-4, 12-4). That impact will be crucial Wednesday night when they take on seventh-ranked Alabama (23-6, 12-4) in a sold-out SEC showdown at Coleman Coliseum with postseason stakes on the line.
[Read senior writer Chris Harry's "Pregame Stuff" setup here]
"He's been elite," said fifth-year guard Alijah Martin. "And his timing coming back? Perfect."
Junior center Micah Handlogten (3) put on 30 pounds during his rehab from the broken leg he suffered last March at the SEC Tournament.
In just his fifth appearance since deciding against a medical redshirt, Micah Handlogten found himself battling in the paint against Texas A&M’s 6-foot-8, 250-pound Henry Coleman III. A year earlier, in two matchups with the Aggies, Handlogten had struggled against Coleman along with Soloman Washington and Andersson Garcia, managing only three points and six rebounds across 27 minutes.
This time around, the physical matchup looked different. Handlogten carried a five-pound edge over Coleman, 25 pounds over Andersson, and 30 pounds over Washington.
During the second half, Coleman received an entry pass on the block, but it was Handlogten who initiated contact. He pressed his chest into Coleman, applied a firm arm bar to the Aggies’ forward, and did it all with visible confidence.
"It's good just to come back against that same team, which has a lot of the same players, and actually hold my ground a little bit more," Handlogten said.
His impact went beyond simply holding position. In 19 minutes off the bench, Handlogten contributed two points, but more importantly secured eight rebounds — half of them offensive — along with two blocked shots, two assists, a pair of steals, and zero turnovers. Florida’s 89-70 win was highlighted by his plus-19 efficiency rating, the second-best mark of the game despite limited minutes.
"He's such a luxury to have back and showed just how much of a winning player someone can be without scoring a lot," UF coach Todd Golden said. "His ability to get his hands on balls on the offensive glass and keep plays alive and create second chances for us … I'm thrilled for us that he's back, but also really happy for him that he's able to go out there and have some really good success and be able to be a part of it with his teammates."
Micah Handlogten (3) is averaging 6.2 rebounds in just 16.2 minutes per game in his five games back.
Gator fans witnessed Micah Handlogten’s broken leg in the opening minutes of the SEC Tournament title game on March 17, a moment that weighed heavily on the team. The impact lingered not only that day but also in the difficult stretch leading up to Florida’s first-round NCAA Tournament defeat later that week.
What wasn’t visible to the public was the effort Handlogten invested in his recovery — originally expected to prepare him for the 2025-26 season — and the role he played as a supportive teammate during practices. His presence was felt even during games, where he energized the bench with cheers and chants alongside UF players and coaches.
Micah Handlogten cheered loudly and passionately for his teammates during his 24 games on the bench.
On February 11, injuries to starting forward Alex Condon and reserve Sam Alexis at Mississippi State forced the Gators into some deep reflection. Recognizing the team’s potential, Micah Handlogten made the unselfish choice to abandon his medical-redshirt plan and return to action with a quarter of the season still remaining.
Now five games into his comeback, Handlogten appears increasingly at ease and confident with each performance.
"Just getting my legs back under me, getting my confidence back, getting back to what I did last year is good for confidence and consistency," he said. "My dad always taught me confidence builds consistency, so just having that mindset going in, just continuing to get more and more confident in myself and allow my teammates to get more confident in me, it's going to grow my game more and more."
Gators strength/conditioning coordinator Victor Lopez
Throughout the offseason — and continuing into game days once the schedule began — Micah Handlogten worked closely with Victor Lopez, the strength coach who joined Todd Golden from the University of San Francisco three years ago. Lopez guided the junior center through a variety of training cycles, including max-effort sets, explosive movements, and high-repetition routines rotated in one- to three-week blocks. The payoff was significant: Handlogten added 31 pounds to his frame.
"He looks a lot bigger out there, I can tell you that," Golden said. "[His] first game, South Carolina, I remember watching him in a free-throw block-out and was like, 'This guy looks wide,' compared to last year. I know he feels it, too."
His teammates have noticed the difference as well. "He puts up so much more resistance than last year," Alex Condon said — and that added strength is something opponents are now experiencing firsthand.
The 230-pound version of Micah Handlogten (3) in December 2023 against Michigan.
Alabama will be tested Wednesday in a matchup that could determine the No. 2 seed for next week’s SEC Tournament and potentially set the stage for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament soon after. The Crimson Tide enter with the nation’s third-ranked offense, built around scoring at the rim and from beyond the arc. In last season’s meetings, Florida surrendered 21 offensive rebounds in an overtime loss at Alabama, but tightened up in later contests, limiting the Tide to 15 and nine offensive boards in victories at Gainesville and during the SEC Tournament.
Two of Alabama’s frontcourt anchors, Grant Nelson (6-11, 230 pounds) and Jarin Stevenson (6-11, 215 pounds), were part of those battles as the Tide advanced to their first Final Four in program history. This time, they’ll face a stronger Micah Handlogten, who has averaged 8.5 rebounds in just 16 minutes per game over his last two outings.
The challenge is about to intensify — and so are the implications.
That’s exactly why Handlogten returned.
"We have a special team this year. … I think we really have a shot to go all the way and I got excited about that and I think that played a huge role in [returning] because I want to be out there with my boys," Handlogten said. "They were with me through thick and thin throughout my recovery process. There were hardships, but they helped me through and I see this as a way to help get them to where we want to be."
Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu
