Micah Handlogten talks first game as a Gator, matchup with Virginia

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Sophomore center Micah Handlogten was one of four Gators to score in double figures in Florida’s season-opening victory over Loyola Maryland. The Marshall transfer finished with 16 points and made his first seven field goal attempts, including a pair of 3-pointers.

Handlogten met with the media on Thursday to recap his first game as a Gator and preview Friday’s matchup with Virginia. Here’s everything Handlogten said during his availability.

On how many family members and friends he’ll have in Charlotte for the Virginia game:

Handlogten: “Oh yeah, I’m gonna have a ton. My first game in Charlotte, we played Queens, my first college game last year. And there was like a whole section. It was like filled up with just like my family and friends.”

On his motivation for playing in his home state:

Handlogten: “Oh, a ton. I mean, I love my family. I love my friends more than anything. So, just being able to play in front of them, it’s amazing. I’m just happy that I get the opportunity to.”

On whether any in-state schools recruited him:

Handlogten: “No in-state schools. I had one from South Carolina, Presbyterian College, Jacksonville, Youngstown State, Marshall obviously.”

On if those were his four finalists:

Handlogten: “Yeah.”

On why he received no in-state interest:

Handlogten: “I really don’t know. You can’t teach height. We’ve said it before. I’ll say it again. But, I mean, obviously, I’m a firm believer in God, so I think that he had my path set and it ended up here. So, I’m happy.”

On knocking down two 3s in the opener:

Handlogten: “It was awesome. I mean, definitely a confidence booster. I mean, I tried to go in there and shoot with confidence. But, just being able to make those two back to back, just huge, like confidence booster.”

On being wide open for both looks:

Handlogten: “Once I made the first one, I kind of figured that they may step up a little bit. But then I saw him in the panic. And I was like, ‘Screw it.’”

On not shooting 3s in practice:

Handlogten: “I don’t take a lot in practice, because we all know how to like guard each other and we’re always up like in each other’s faces so we don’t get those shots like during the scrimmages in practice.”

On whether he surprised his teammates:

Handlogten: “A little bit. I mean, I knew what I was capable of. So I guess know they know too.”

On if he had the green light from 3 at Marshall:

Handlogten: “Not really. I mean, I was one for 11 from three at Marshall. I shot them, like once every three games roughly, only made one. So, I mean, based off like last year, I would say I didn’t really have the green light. But, at the same time, in high school I was shooting all the time. I made a lot of them. I think I was shooting like 30 some percent from the three in high school.”

On whether Alex Condon is rubbing off on him:

Handlogten: “I guess so. Once he made them, I had to kind of shoot them, catch up.”

On his reaction to making the 3s on Monday:

Handlogten: “I mean, when you’re going on a run and you get to hear like the crowd get into it after you make three, it’s my first time playing like at a Power Five basketball school, so it just surprised me. A lot of pressure and it just all of it gets relieved so you get happy.”

On how his first game as a Gator felt:

Handlogten: “It felt like a dream, honestly. At Marshall, I mean, I love the crowd at Marshall, but it didn’t have like the same like student section feel that you have at Florida where the Rowdies are just lined up across the entire court. So just like having them there just brings the energy. It’s a lot of fun.”

On what he didn’t do well in the opener:

Handlogten: “I think I can work on my ball screen coverages. I think that a lot of times, I was a little bit too quiet when I was talking on the court like calling out what coverage we wanted to play. So I think that’s something I could improve on. Being louder, being more vocal, stuff like that.”

On the importance of doing that vs. Virginia:

Handlogten: “Yes sir. Huge.”

On how much they emphasis finishing games the same way they started:

Handlogten: “A lot. That’s something that he especially stressed over the last like, the closed scrimmage versus FIU and this past game, because we’ve got off to a really hot start at the beginning of the first and second half and then towards the end, we kind of got comfortable and kind of like slowed down and relax a little bit. I guess that’s just like one of like, the main things that he’s been focusing on, just getting us to finish through the buzzer.”

On sacrificing building a lead to play freshmen:

Handlogten: “I mean, yeah. College basketball is all about experience. We’ve learned that, everyone knows that. So, I think that being able to have the younger kids go out there and play, get that experience under their belt, get the nerves gone. For me, like last year, the biggest thing was getting my first basket. Like, I was so nervous for it. Then you see two of the freshmen go out there and get the first basket in the game. It’s just like, all that pressure gets relieved. Condo had 13 points, Thomas had 6. I mean, like just getting that first basket of the way, it’s just gonna only help them grow.”

On if he’s had experience against a pack line defense:

Handlogten: “Not really, but I guess I’m excited for what’s to come.”

On what Golden has stressed in scouting Virginia: 

Handlogten: “I mean, we’ve added some plays that are going to help us out with stuff like that. Just being able to move past the ball out of like double teams because we know that’s how they’re gonna play us. Just stuff like that. We’ve come up with stuff and we’re ready for that.”

On whether he was an ACC fan:

Handlogten: “I was. Growing up I was a UNC fan being from North Carolina. Always hated the Duke Blue Devils. But my family didn’t agree with me on that.”

On whether they’re Duke fans:

Handlogten: “My dad was a UNC fan, but all my sisters and my mom.”

On UNC’s rivalry with Virginia:

Handlogten: “I mean, yeah, but you can’t get worse than Duke-UNC. The blue bloods.”

On Alex Condon: 

Handlogten: “I’ve said this in like the last interview that we had, he’s made huge strides for how young he is and coming from playing Australian rules football to playing basketball. Just like his natural feel for the game is like insane. And so, it’s inspiring honestly for like all the other guys. If he can do that, so can I. Like we’re all teammates, we’re all together, and so I think that’s like massive for us.”

On when he started playing basketball:

Handlogten: “As long as I can remember.” 

On how much Condon has grown: 

Handlogten: “Huge. His work ethic is second to none. He’s always in the gym. Whenever I’m calling him, texting him, he always wants to get better, always asking me if I want to go play, play 1-on-1 for example. I mean, just stuff like that, it’s gonna make both of us better. So I appreciate him for it. And then I think that he’s making both of us better by doing that.”

On how he and Condon benefit the team as stretch 5s:

Handlogten: “In transition, especially. If you have one guy that’s running like his butt off, getting down to the middle, everyone’s gonna have to compress in to stop him, leaving shooters wide open and everything else open. But then if you have two of them that can work in tandem, then you’re not getting tired, you can play longer together. And then we use our length to our advantage too. So if it’s a high low opportunity, we can just throw it up there, everything’s going to compress, open shooters or an open dunk.”

On how comfortable he is playing with Tyrese Samuel:

Handlogten: “I feel about as comfortable as I could be. I mean, he’s a great leader. He’s taught me so much stuff already, so I look up to him. But we also grow as one. And so, as he makes me better, I know that I’m making him better too because we can look for each other. We have really good chemistry. So like high lows, we always look in for each other to throw it. And so, just being able to work with him, have that guy that I just click with, it’s really great.”

On whether officials talked to UF about fouls in the low post:

Handlogten: “A little bit. I wouldn’t say be straight up about it, but they definitely mentioned what they’re gonna be looking for. Even in the game, I had one of the rest come up to me and tell me, ‘Hey, don’t like grab him on the back. I can see it.’ Just calm down with that stuff. And so, I like that they’re being lenient on it and they’re giving us time to grow with it. But at the same time, I don’t think some fouls are fouls and they think that they are. So obviously, you’re gonna butt heads a little bit.”