Florida center Micah Handlogten suffered a gruesome injury in the opening minutes of Sunday’s SEC championship tilt against Auburn.
Handlogten went up for a rebound but fell to the floor after landing awkwardly. Subsequent reports indicated that he had a broken leg and was taken to the hospital for further testing.
The sound of Hanglogten’s leg breaking was apparently audible to those seated nearby, according to the Associated Press.
The 7-1 center posted two messages on his X account after his injury, thanking supporters for their prayers and encouraging them to continue rooting for the Gators.
The team also posted a tribute message to their injured player.
“Micah is so valuable for our team, especially on the offensive rebounding side of things. Losing him early kind of affected us a little bit,” Florida’s Tyrese Samuel said after the game. “We were trying to win the championship for him. We really care about him. He’s part of our family.
“We going to go out there next week and keep on playing for him.”
Auburn defeated the Gators 86-67.
Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl holds up the net and “champions’ sign after winning the championship game of the men’s Southeastern Conference Tournament between the Auburn Tigers and Florida Gators, March 17, 2024, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
Florida was admitted into the NCAA Tournament as the #7 seed in the South Region.