In Nashville, Tennessee, a distressing event unfolded during the Southeastern Conference tournament final on a Sunday. Micah Handlogten, the center for the Florida Gators, suffered a severe injury just minutes into the game. He fractured a bone in his lower left leg and had to be carried off the court on a stretcher.
Handlogten, standing tall at 7-foot-1 and in his sophomore year, was actively contributing to the game with two rebounds in the first two minutes. He was in the process of securing a third rebound when he landed in an awkward position on his left foot. This happened with 17:46 left in the first half. The pain was immediate, and Handlogten found himself rolling onto his side, visibly distressed, covering his face with his hands.
The incident was so severe that the sound of the bone breaking was reportedly heard during the live broadcast, and blood was seen on his calf almost immediately. Despite the gravity of the situation, the game continued momentarily until Aden Holloway of the Auburn Tigers scored a layup. The game was halted at 17:39 to allow medical personnel to attend to Handlogten, bringing a hush over the crowd at Bridgestone Arena. His concerned parents were quickly brought to the court from their seats.
Medical professionals took swift action, securing Handlogten’s leg in an air cast and placing him on a backboard before lifting him onto a stretcher. His teammates, deeply affected by the sight, gathered around him as he was taken off the court. Riley Kugel, also a sophomore, was visibly emotional, shedding tears on the bench.
Handlogten was immediately taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for further evaluation. Todd Golden, the coach of the Florida Gators, confirmed the unfortunate news of Handlogten’s fracture to ESPN’s Marty Smith during the halftime of the game.
Before this unfortunate incident, Handlogten had been making a notable impact in the season, averaging 5.5 points and ranking fifth in the SEC with an average of 7.1 rebounds per game.
This report includes contributions from The Associated Press.