Micah Handlogten injury update: Todd Golden provides latest on Florida center

Florida center Micah Handlogten left a game against Miami on Sunday night after taking a hit to the head. He did not return, missing the entire second half.

But the situation doesn’t appear dire for Florida, with coach Todd Golden providing an update to On3’s James Fletcher on Sunday evening. Golden noted Handlogten was ‘banged up’ but insisted ‘he’s fine.’

Micah Handlogten is expected to play on Friday when the team takes on Merrimack. That should return the Florida frontcourt to one of the nation’s top units, one rife with both talent and depth.

Handlogten exited the Miami contest with three rebounds and an assist in nine minutes of action. He had already been called for three fouls.

The Florida big man has had an excellent start to the year as a valuable sixth man off the bench. He was actually averaging a double-double through the first three games, notching 10.0 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.

Micah Handlogten has a unique story with the Gators, too. He was a full-time starter in 2023-24 after transferring in from Marshall. However, as Florida pushed toward the postseason, Handlogten suffered a devastating leg injury in the SEC Tournament against Auburn.

The injury ended his season and the initial prognosis was that Micah Handlogten would miss the entire 2024-25 season recovering. However, his recovery progressed ahead of schedule.

Handlogten then opted to return midseason for Florida, which was chasing a championship, rather than redshirt. He played in 16 games and was a vital piece off the bench for the team en route to its third national title.

During that stretch, Handlogten averaged 2.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while soaking up 13.1 minutes per contest. He has played 17.3 minutes per game for Florida so far this season, coming off the bench in each game but increasing his overall usage from a year ago.