Tag: Micah Handlogten

Florida hoops hosting Charlotte transfer C on official visit

The Gators aren’t slowing down in the transfer portal after landing a trio of players. Former Charlotte center Aly Khalifa is set to officially visit Gainesville over the weekend.

The Florida Gators landed a pair of commitments to the men’s basketball program in as many days, but the recruiting train is slowing down for Todd Golden and Co. any time soon.

Swamp247’s Jacob Rudner reported that former Charlotte center [autotag]Aly Khalifa[/autotag] will be on campus for an official visit with the Gators beginning on April 15. Khalifa is an international talent, who is originally from Egypt. At 6-foot-11-inches and 230 pounds, he dominated the post in the Conference USA with the 49ers for two years.

The big man’s game isn’t limited to down low, though. He’s a strong passer and shot 38.1% from three-point range last season. Khalifa is very strong rebounder, which shouldn’t be assumed because of his height. He won the 2021-22 Conference USA Freshman of the Year Award.

Florida recently brought center [autotag]Micah Handlogten[/autotag] into the fold, but the Gators still need a backup center after losing both [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag] and [autotag]Jason Jitoboh[/autotag] at the end of the season. Khalifa would fit into Jitoboh’s role immediately and provide a different set of skills off the bench than Handlogten.

The Gators have three scholarship spots left to fill, including incoming freshmen, and Khalifa could very well take one of them if things go well over this extended visit to the Swamp.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1365]

[mm-video type=video id=01gxb4dv2ecnv7fn52gb playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gxb4dv2ecnv7fn52gb/01gxb4dv2ecnv7fn52gb-b15d3c6ba4832f51fd07f639374ba454.jpg]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Gators add Iona G Walter Clayton Jr. through transfer portal

Florida basketball continues to add pieces through the transfer portal, and the latest addition is a lights-out shooter from Iona that was the conference player of the year last season.

For the second day in a row, the Florida Gators added a key piece to its men’s basketball team through the transfer portal.

Former Iona guard [autotag]Walter Clayton Jr[/autotag]. announced his commitment to the University of Florida Tuesday morning, making him the 10th scholarship player on the Gators’ 2023-24 roster. Clayton’s decision is not only significant because it’s a new name for Gator Nation to learn, but he also chose UF over St. John’s, which is where his old coach Rick Pitino is now.

The SEC is obviously appealing, but Clayton’s commitment — along with the additions of big men [autotag]EJ Jarvis[/autotag] and [autotag]Micah Handlogten[/autotag] — signals that top transfer players are open to joining what Todd Golden and Co. have going in Gainesville.

Of course, Florida lost several players of its own through the portal, which has left an incredible amount of minutes to replace. Playing time in an elite conference is always enticing.

Clayton averaged 16.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the Gaels last season and won the MAAC Player of the Year Award. The name of the game for Clayton is scoring, and he does it efficiently. He shot well over 40.0%  from three-point range last season and is a 95.3% shooter at the stripe.

Florida is adding a smart player that usually puts up good shots and makes the right decision. He’ll help space the floor for the bigs on the team and be the second option to [autotag]Riley Kugel[/autotag] out wide often.

A starting five of Clayton, Kugel, [autotag]Will Richard[/autotag], [autotag]Alex Fudge[/autotag] and Handlogten seems realistic at this point, with [autotag]Denzel Aberdeen[/autotag], Jarvis and [autotag]Alex Szymczyk[/autotag] all fighting for minutes off the bench.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1365]

[mm-video type=video id=01gxb4dv2ecnv7fn52gb playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gxb4dv2ecnv7fn52gb/01gxb4dv2ecnv7fn52gb-b15d3c6ba4832f51fd07f639374ba454.jpg]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida basketball adds elite transfer portal C Micah Handlogten

The Florida Gators men’s basketball team have added a second player through the transfer portal, former Marshall center Micah Handlogten.

The second year of the (Todd) Golden Era at Florida will look a lot different from the first with the departures of three of the team’s most prominent big men, Colin Castleton, Jason Jitoboh and CJ Felder.

Replacing the production those three provided is no easy task, especially Castleton’s workload, but the Gators added a major piece of its new-look frontcourt on Monday with the commitment of former Marshall center Micah Handlogten. The 7-foot-1-inch big man chose Florida over Auburn and NC State after entering the portal as one of the top big-man transfers in the country.

His commitment comes fresh off a visit to the Swamp over the weekend. On3’s Joe Tipton spoke with Handlogten about the decision and learned that the visit was among the many reasons the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year chose Florida.

“I chose Florida because of the opportunity that the University holds,” Handlogten said. “They have an opening for a center to come in and play major minutes. After going on my visit, I mesh really well with the players and I love the coaches. I really think I can thrive under their coaching and become a pro at Florida.”

Handlogten is among the nation’s top shot blockers, which is something Florida fans have gotten used to with Castleton down low. Speaking of the now-former Gator, Castleton was a direct participant in Handlogten’s recruitment, according to Jacob Rudner of 247Sports. The two big men caught up during Handlogten’s recent visit, and Castleton sold the University of Florida to him.

Gainesville is certainly a good place for big men to thrive, and Handlogten has the numbers to warrant a starting role right away. He averaged 7.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.2 assists in 25.3 minutes per game as a freshman.

His conditioning should only improve, which means his playing time will too. Averaging a double-double seems attainable for him in his first season in the SEC.

Handlogten is the second transfer to join the Gators over the offseason. Former Yale forward EJ Jarvis is also committed to Florida, and the two could spend plenty of time on the court together next season.

Alex Fudge, Riley Kugel and Will Richard all figure to be major pieces for UF next season, and guard Denzel Aberdeen should get a chance to play more as a sophomore.

Alex Szymczyk is the other returning player on the roster, and freshmen Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon will join the team. That leaves four scholarship spots left for Florida to fill through the transfer portal.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1365]

[mm-video type=video id=01gxb4dv2ecnv7fn52gb playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gxb4dv2ecnv7fn52gb/01gxb4dv2ecnv7fn52gb-b15d3c6ba4832f51fd07f639374ba454.jpg]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Former Marshall center taking official transfer portal visit to Florida

The Gators are looking at former Marshall center Micah Handlogten in the transfer portal and will host him on an official visit at the end of the week.

The Florida Gators will host former Marshall center [autotag]Micah Handlogten[/autotag] on an official visit, as Todd Golden and Co. continue to look for transfer portal additions to the team, according to 247Sports.

The 7-foot-1-inch, 227-pound Sun Belt Freshman of the Year entered the transfer portal after averaging 7.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game in 2023 for the Thundering Herd. Handlogten is considered one of the nation’s premier transfer centers and would be a major addition to Florida’s depleted frontcourt.

The Gators are among nearly two dozen programs that reached out to Handlogten after he entered the portal. North Carolina State is considered the other major player in this race, but Arkansas, Auburn and Indiana are all pushing hard as well.

Florida will get a chance to leave a good impression on him when he visits on April 6-8 and ios planning on visiting the Wolfpack too at some point. His three other official visits aren’t yet decided.

After losing Colin Castleton, Jason Jitoboh and CJ Felder, Florida needs to add a big man to the team. Handlogten fits the bill and he’s still growing. If he can continue to add muscle to his already massive frame, Handlogten could be a serious threat in the Southeastern Conference.

[mm-video type=video id=01gwm85jb2b4asy3ntsp playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gwm85jb2b4asy3ntsp/01gwm85jb2b4asy3ntsp-52d1861305e83287029956218ee16282.jpg]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.