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The Florida Gators men’s basketball team have signed sophomore center Micah Handlogten from Marshall. Handlogten is a 7-foot-1 center from Huntsville, North Carolina, who played high school basketball at Southlake Christian Academy. Handlogten becomes the second transfer signing for the Gators this offseason, after EJ Jarvis announced his transfer to Florida last Monday. The Gators get a huge piece at the center position, after both Collin Castleton and Jason Jitoboh played their last seasons at Florida.
https://twitter.com/MHandlogten/status/1645441526627958789
Handlogten’s Freshman Year for Marshall
Micah Handlogten started all 32 games during his freshman season at Marshall. Out of those 32 games, he scored at least 10 points in 9 of those games and had over 10 rebounds in 14 starts. He had 8 games with a double-double, which includes a 19-point 19-rebound performance against Coastal Carolina. In addition, he had 6 games with 4 blocks or more, including a season-high 6 blocks against Akron.
Handlogten was an integral part of Marshall’s season, as they went 24-8 last season. For the Thundering Herd, he averaged 7.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists on 66.2% shooting. As a result of his performances as a first-year player, he was named the 2023 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year.
What the Gators are getting in Handlogten
Handlogten will be a big presence defensively for the Gators. He showed great defensive ability in his freshman year, averaging 2.3 blocks and 1.3 steals per game. His 2.3 blocks per game saw him tied for 12th in the nation in that category. Handlogten’s presence in the paint will be big for the Gators, as they led the SEC in blocks per game in the 2022-23 season.
In addition, Handlogten ranked 17th in the country in rebounds. 3.4 of the 9.8 rebounds came on the offensive boards. Handlogten’s ability on the boards will be very important for the Gators. Florida was dead last in the SEC in offensive rebounds and third last in total rebounds.
Even with the great abilities that Handlogten possesses, there is one thing that the Gators need to fix. In his freshman season at Marshall, Handlogten averaged 3.5 fouls per game. Handlogten committed at least 4 fouls in 16 games he played, including fouling out 6 times. Keeping Handlogten on the court will be crucial for the Gators during the next season.
