![Florida center Micah Handlogten (3) greets fans after Florida’s 108-77 win over Mississippi State after an NCAA mens basketball game at Steven C. O'Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_2682,h_1508/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ReutersImages/mmsport/184/01kzy0191s72bpgds34z.jpg "Florida center Micah Handlogten (3) greets fans after Florida’s 108-77 win over Mississippi State after an NCAA mens basketball game at Steven C. O'Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]")
Among the dozens of players actively looking for an extra year of eligibility is Micah Handlogten, a 7’1 center out of North Carolina. He spent the last three years at Florida, averaging 4.3 ppg and 6.1 rpg. Handlogten was part of the 2024-25 championship team at Florida but had previously suffered a serious leg injury, which kept him towards the back of the rotation.
Yet when healthy, Handlogten is an effective big man who can rebound and defend at a high level. With the Gators not being an option, there are a few programs reportedly in the mix to land the big 5th-year senior, assuming he’s eligible to play.
Micah Handlogten tells me that he's pursuing a fifth year of eligibility during the 2026-27 season and is considering the following programs:
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) August 10, 2026
NC State
Ole Miss
USC
Averaged 4.1 PPG and 5.9 RPG last season at Florida.
Here’s a look at how he fits with each team.
NC State Wolfpack
NC State landed one of the top interior bigs earlier in the offseason in Kyle Evans, a former Big West Defensive Player of the Year at UC Irvine. Yet he’s unproven at the ACC level, and there’s little proven depth behind Evans at the five-spot, with JUCO transfer Shah Hall an option. This is a legit chance where Handlogten would not only get good minutes but start if Evans struggles.
Ole Miss Rebels
The Rebels landed plenty of frontcourt players from the portal, but almost none of them are true centers at the SEC level. 7’0 center Stefan Cicic (4.5 ppg and 2.6 rpg at Pepperdine) is the lone true center, while former ASU forward Santiago Trouet (8.1 ppg and 6.1 rpg) is the likely projected center at the moment. Handlogten, a proven SEC contributor, would be an upgrade.
USC Trojans
USC may not have originally been in the market for a center, but the issue is UConn transfer big man Eric Reibe recently suffered a foot injury and may not be available for opening night. There are other options on the roster, including top-30 twin forward brothers Adonis and Darius Ratliff and international big man Onyeka Joe Agu. But Handlogten would be an upgrade over them and the best possible insurance at center, regardless of Reibe’s availability.
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