What Micah Handlogten injury means to Florida basketball 2024 March Madness hopes

Florida basketball suffered a blow to its frontcourt when starting 7-foot-1 center Micah Handlogten went down with a broken lower left leg in early in the first half during UF's 86-67 SEC Tournament championship game loss to Auburn at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

It was an emotional blow for the Florida Gators (24-11), who started the game 3-of-17 from floor. Florida rallied back to cut Auburn's eight-point halftime lead to one, but couldn't keep up down the stretch

Handlogten appeared in 33 games with 32 starts this season. He missed two games after suffering a sprained ankle against Pittsburgh last Nov. 22 in the NIT Season Tip-Off.

Tough blow:Florida basketball's Micah Handlogten leaves SEC Tournament final on stretcher with broken leg

Tough ending:Florida basketball runs out of gas in SEC Tournament final loss to Auburn

This injury, though, was more severe. Handlogten was taken off the court on a stretcher in an air cast before being taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he underwent successful surgery on Sunday night.

"I feel for Micah," Florida coach Todd Golden said after the game. "Obviously he fractured his leg.

"Our program is really appreciative of our medical staff, the SEC medical staff and even Auburn's group for how quickly they responded, comforted him, were able to kind of get him under control, take care of him. We're thankful for that.

"I think he'll probably have surgery later today, tonight. Hopefully he will have a quick and speedy recovery."

Here's what the loss of Handlogten means for the Florida heading into the 2023 NCAA Tournament:

Florida basketball will be without one its top rebounders

Handlogten (5.5 points per game) wasn't a post scoring threat for the Gators, but his 6.9 rebounds per game ranks second on the team, behind only starting forward Tyrese Samuel (7.5 rebounds). Handlogten was particularly effective on the offensive glass, as his 108 offensive rebounds leads UF this season.

"Micah is so valuable for our team, especially on the offensive rebounding side of things," Samuel said. "Losing him early kind of affected us a little bit. We were trying to win the championship for him. We really care about him. He's part of our family."

Handlogten had struggled with foul trouble in recent games, which limited his offensive production and time on the court. His 29 blocked shots also ranked third on the team, and he posted three double-doubles on the season, including a career-high 23 points and 17 rebounds in a 102-98 overtime win over Georgia on Jan. 27.

Who will start for Florida basketball in Micah Handlogten's absence?

The two top candidates are freshmen – either 6-11 forward Alex Condon or 6-9 forward Thomas Haugh – with Samuel likely sliding over to center. Condon earned All-SEC freshman honors this season and has played with toughness all season, averaging 7.7 points and 6.3 rebounds with a team-high 43 blocked shots. Haugh is another player who isn't afraid to throw his body around. He's averaged 3.9 points and 3.7 rebounds in 35 games (including two starts) with 24 blocks.

Micah Handlogten's injury will impact Florida basketball frontcourt depth

The Gators could rotate four players in two frontcourt spots with Condon and Haugh coming off the bench. That number will now be reduced to three, as either Condon or Haugh will now take on a starting role.

That could make things tricky if one or two of the three remaining frontcourt players encounter foul trouble or an injury. Florida could be forced to play smaller four-guard lineups in March, which would hamper its rebounding ability. The Gators ranked second in the SEC in rebounding margin (plus-7.4) entering Sunday's SEC Tournament final.