North Carolina may not be finished adding to its roster just yet, and the latest name to surface is a big one - literally.
Micah Handlogten, the former Florida center, has emerged as a possible target for UNC, with reports indicating the Tar Heels staff has been in contact to gauge his interest in Chapel Hill. The buzz picked up after Handlogten, who recently played Summer League ball with the Jazz, started following the official UNC basketball account and assistant coach Sean May on Instagram. May followed him back, which only added fuel to the speculation.
Handlogten is currently out of eligibility, but he is seeking a medical hardship waiver for an additional season. He could also try to join the five-for-five lawsuit involving plenty of 2022 signees. If the medical redshirt comes through, that appears to be the cleanest path for him to get back on the floor next season, though there are still plenty of moving parts before anything becomes official.
If he does become available, Handlogten would draw interest fast. A player with his experience and size would be one of the more attractive options in the portal, and UNC would not be the only program ready to make a push.
From Carolina’s side, the fit is easy to see. Even after bringing in Sayon Keita, Alexandros Samodurov, and Cade Bannerman this offseason, the Tar Heels still have questions at center.
Keita is a highly regarded 5-star signee, but he’s also expected to need time to develop. Samodurov brings promise as well, but he is not a major scoring threat and isn’t built to replace Henri Veesaar by himself.
Handlogten isn’t a big-time scorer either - he averaged 4.1 points per game last season - but he does bring rebounding, defense, and the kind of 7-1, 265-pound frame you simply can’t manufacture. For a team still looking to firm up its frontcourt depth, that matters.
UNC still has one roster spot open after adding veteran guard Angelo Brizzi, so there is room if the Tar Heels decide to keep pushing here. Whether the Handlogten chatter turns into something real remains to be seen, but he’s clearly a name worth watching for Carolina fans right now.
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