Micah Handlogten appreciation thread - includes all updates and news!

Take a year, get both legs strong as iron and add 25 pounds of upper bruiser body. Probably best for him and his future.

 

Without Micah, we are definitely one big short, but who would want to come in at this point and play 10 mpg as the fifth option for two positions. Could Rioux be ready to contribute by the start of the SEC season to be that guy in the event of injury?

 

Rioux cannot be counted on for a single minute next year IMO. Huge project. Huge, but a project.

 

A word like "probably" has me thinking - what if his recovery is ahead of schedule and he wants to play this November, would it be entirely up to Micah and how would that affect the other bigs eyeing PT, especially Alexis and Chinyelu who perhaps were brought in with certain PT expectations ...I would think Golden has to play whomever gives us the best chance of winning, even if that means Micah gets someone else's minutes

 

Mica has so many deficiencies on both ends of the court that a redshirt year for him would be a blessing in disguise. He could come back 2 seasons from now as an entirely different player. Haugh can and, arguably, should primarily play the 3. We were going into last season with 6 big guys, and we lost 2 of them before the season started. We should be able to attract another big guy who potentially could be a starter.

 

I believe I heard that he is ahead of schedule

 

You all crack me up. I’ve been trying to tell you for a few weeks the far and away most likely scenario according to the coaches was Micah was going to redshirt. Now Golden has publicly said it and still some people think he is playing this year. As I’ve said all along it’s about more than recovery. This kid wants to be a professional basketball player somewhere some day. He wants to heal then he needs to get in shape then he needs to get better. All of that isn’t happening before next season and it would be selfish of the gators to try and get a half a season at best out of him. The staff is doing right by the player. Giving him a chance to fully heal, get in shape and improve without losing any eligibility.

 

you are correct about Micah, but not so much about Haugh. He has plenty of size and length to be a very good 4 in college basketball and as of now is not skilled enough to be a 3 on offense. He would also struggle to stay in front of smaller 3’s if he had to be the primary defender on them. He is good on switches, but guarding someone on a switch is a little different than being the primary defender throughout the game.

Often fans, see where a player would project too at the next level and assume that’s the right thing for them in college. Usually it’s not. They are two different games. If Haugh developed his 3 and became a good spot shooter he could maybe one day be a 3 at a pro level. He actually though is a nice 4 to have as he has the mobility to play defense on switches and guard most 4’s and also runs the floor so well. He is a good rebounder and just needs to improve as a shooter to really be a stud for us.

 

Ok, ok. I give in. Still, 6 months and even more, 1.5 years, is a LONG time for a 20-year old. We all know his deficiencies and can’t disagree that redshirting is maybe a blessing in disguise, but as a starter this year and great offensive rebounder, it’s not like he can’t be ready by next season to contribute to this team. Will redshirting get him that much closer to an NBA level? Who knows. He may just be a solid college and overseas pro player when it’s all said and done. “Half a season” is still guesswork. Anyway, it’s all a moot point if both he and the staff are behind his redshirting. Hopefully he does come back a different player. At 7’1 he might just be who he is no matter how much time to heal and develop his game. I’d love to be proven wrong and see that it’s the right move not just for the team but also for him

 

I think Condo has a much better chance of making the league, Haugh is too much of a tweener. Not quite fast, athletic, skilled enough to play the 3 and not quite big enough to play the 4. I’d love to be proven wrong with him too

At this level though, who knows. I agree he’s a nice mobile 4 at this level

 

I don’t disagree. Love Condon and Haugh both but Condo right now is the better prospect.

 

Tidbit on Micah at minute 18:05....as @gatorrick1 mentioned.

Todd Golden Press Conference 4-26-24

And some other good tidbits here...Worth the watch for those that like pressers.

 

Link didn't work for me, but from the AP wire:

BY MARK LONG
Updated 3:45 PM EDT, April 26, 2024
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida center Micah Handlogten, who gruesomely broke his left leg in the Southeastern Conference championship game last month, is planning to take a medical redshirt next season and work toward returning to the court and becoming “an absolute monster” in the fall of 2025.

Coach Todd Golden said the decision, which he and Handlogten made during a recent conversation, gives the 7-foot-1 sophomore time to make a full recovery.

“Now he can just pour all his efforts into his rehab and not feel the pressure of ‘I need to try to get back on the court by November,’” Golden said Friday. “My hope is now — obviously not next year but the year after — he should be an absolute monster as he comes back fully healthy with a lot of confidence on the leg.

“His recovery is going as well as it could. His mentality has been amazing. I’m really proud of him and the way he’s gone about it, so he’ll be back.”

I stand corrected

 

He looks taller than when he came in. Get stronger and get your inside game on offense improved and start making threes at a good percentage, people would start talking about his physical transformation and his polished game, the opponents would have him on a list of players that they will have to stop. He was a young pup this year but got to see d1 basketball at a high level and he had a lot of good moments. The sophomore jump for him will come and hopefully we get to see these fore mentioned things that will help his development and become a nice four that can guard and score. can’t wait for this and Condo’s development also.

 

GatorRick do you live in Gainseville?

 

no, but I had some of the best years of my life there. Starting my coaching life while a sophomore at 19 yes old at a local HS there. Special place.