On Friday, Florida men’s basketball will play its first game of the NCAA Tournament since 2021 in familiar territory. The Gators return to Indianapolis, Indiana, for their first tournament game under head coach Todd Golden.
In 2021, UF was also a No. 7 seed. But due to COVID-19, there were barely any fans in attendance.
This year, Gainbridge Fieldhouse should be packed as March Madness returns to Indy. However, despite playing in front of thousands of fans, UF will be without one of its key pieces on the court.
Micah Handlogten suffered a season-ending leg injury in the opening minutes of the SEC Tournament Sunday. The injury was gruesome, but UF’s starting center underwent successful surgery in Nashville.
Golden said Handlogten was supposed to travel back to Gainesville Monday. But the 7-foot-1 sophomore wanted to be with the team, so he’s driving straight from Nashville to Indianapolis in time to be with the team.
“Everybody really respects Micah,” Golden said Tuesday. “Everybody loves him as a teammate. He's one of, if not the best, teammates that we have and to have him there I think will bring joy to everybody. My hope is that the guys want to do everything they can to play their butts off for him on Friday.”
Handlogten has started every game this season at center. With him sidelined, Golden confirmed Tuesday freshman forward Alex Condon will start. Listed at 6-foot-11, Condon would frequently sub in for Handlogten throughout the season. They’d also find themselves on the court together at times, constantly interrupting opponents' shots in the paint.
Gators graduate forward Tyrese Samuel is well aware of needing to stay out of foul trouble going forward, knowing UF is down to a three-man front court rotation.
However, the forward said the team has shown a deep lineup all season and is confident the team will succeed without their second-leading rebounder.
And for the Gators, having Handlogten there will only help them.
“For us, it’s just going out there and playing for him,” junior guard Will Richard said. “Micah has done so much for this program. He’s for us every day. He’s a great guy, great teammate, hard worker. So for us, it’s just going out there and playing for him.”
Despite the bracket being released Sunday, Florida still doesn’t have a set opponent Friday. They’ll play either Boise State or Colorado, who face each other in a First Four matchup.
The Gators are one of four teams that will or have had to prepare for two teams and wait for the conclusion of the First Four. The Buffaloes and Broncos tip-off at 9:10 p.m. Wednesday.
Even though Golden said there is a bit of a disadvantage of not knowing who they’ll play, the team received a much-needed break.
“I think this team was about as fatigued as you can be coming off four games in four days and obviously with the emotion of what happened to Micah,” Golden said. “So we needed some time to kind of get our legs back under us and now it’s everything we’ve got to get ourselves revved up and back ready to go for Friday.”
After playing 17 minutes against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinal Friday, sophomore guard Riley Kugel didn’t play in the semifinal or final of the conference tournament.
Even after Handlogten’s injury, Kugel didn’t see the floor against Auburn Sunday. Golden said other players stepping up played a role in his decision to keep Kugel on the bench, especially after the impressive performance from guard Denzel Aberdeen. Aberdeen scored 20 points in 22 minutes against the Texas A&M Aggies Saturday in the semifinal.
Golden said he expects Kugel to play a role in the tournament.
“I have faith that he will respond the right way,” the head coach said. “Obviously he was disappointed, I would have been if I was him too. But again, there's a new opportunity this week is the best way I can say it. And you know, nothing that's happened in the past will prevent him from getting on the court if he deserves to be there this week.”
Moreover, with the absence of Handlogten, Golden said Aleks Szymczyk could see minutes for the first time this season. The 6-foot-10 sophomore played in 14 games in the 2022-23 season and saw playing time at the end of last season after former center Colin Castleton’s injury.
But most of the workload will be on Samuel, Condon and freshman forward Thomas Haugh, who will be playing more than he has been, according to Golden. Additionally, the second-year head coach said he may play a four guard lineup at some points Friday.
Regardless, Samuel said his head coach has constantly instilled belief in the team.
“Right after the game [Sunday], he's like, 'Micah's doing fine. But, you know, it's March. It's time for some people to step up and play bigger roles.' And he has the belief in us, so it's like I said before, like Condon and Haugh, I know it's gonna be a big challenge for them. But I know they're ready because we prepare and practice for it,”’ Samuel said.
UF will tentatively tip-off at 4:30 p.m. Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Contact Bennett Solomon at bsolomon@alligator.org. Follow him on X @B_Soly11.
