Former Florida big man Micah Handlogten and guard Xaivian Lee are both headed toward another season of college basketball, even as the NCAA eligibility fight continues to sort itself out.
Lee, who had already run out of eligibility after one year in Gainesville, was among more than 70 players granted a temporary restraining order against the NCAA in California on Tuesday. That ruling opens the door for him to play one more season, and according to On3’s Joe Tipton, Lee now plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal. The portal remains open until Aug. 25 under the TRO.
Handlogten’s path is moving in the same direction. After spending last season fighting for a medical hardship waiver, he is now pursuing a fifth year following a court ruling in Colorado that prevented the NCAA from denying athletes that extra season. CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein reported that he is currently exploring transfer options, with North Carolina State, Ole Miss and USC standing out.
Lee’s lone season with Florida was productive. The former Princeton transfer averaged 11.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game while helping the Gators capture an SEC regular-season title.
After leaving Florida, he signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers following the 2026 NBA Draft, where he went undrafted. He appeared in five 2026 NBA Summer League games, putting up 6.4 points, 2.4 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 16 minutes per game.
Handlogten’s Florida run has been more complicated, but it has also been important. He arrived from Marshall ahead of the 2023-24 season and averaged 5.3 points and 6.9 rebounds in 32 starts before breaking his leg in the SEC Tournament championship game against Auburn. He originally planned to medically redshirt the 2024-25 season, then came back with seven games left in the regular season.
Over 16 games that year, Handlogten posted 2.6 points and 4.9 rebounds with 10 blocked shots while serving as a key bench piece on Florida’s national championship team. He returned again for the 2025-26 season, averaging 4.1 points and 5.9 rebounds in 34 appearances, including two starts. He also went undrafted and played for the Utah Jazz in the 2026 NBA Summer League.
Neither player can return to Florida, though, because the Gators’ roster is full. Florida has added fifth-year guard Denzel Aberdeen, who is also expected to play one final season of college basketball despite the NCAA’s rule changes, along with international forwards Domen Petrovic and Arturas Butajevas and true freshman center Jones Lay.
Florida opens the season on Nov. 2 against rival Miami in Tampa.
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For Florida, the timing matters as much as the talent. Haugh averaged 17.1 points per game last season and now gives the Gators a player who has already shown he can carry a heavy load against high-level competition, which is part of why the program is projected to sit near the top of the national conversation heading into the new year. His decision keeps Floridas ceiling pointed even higher, with the kind of veteran presence that can change how opposing teams prepare. [Read more 🡒]