UNC and Michael Malone eyeing ex-Florida big would be amazing to close out the roster

If there's anything we've learned about UNC with Michael Malone in charge, it's that he's always got a bit of a trick up his sleeve when it comes to recruiting. While the thought was that perhaps the Tar Heels were done recruiting at the center position after adding multiple bigs this offseason, Micah Handlogten has decided to enter the chat.

In a bit of a twist, rumors have been swirling that the North Carolina staff has been in contact with the former Florida Gator to see if he'd have interest in making the move to Chapel Hill. A quick look on social media shows that Handlogten, who recently played Summer League ball with the Jazz, randomly started following the official UNC hoops account and assistant coach/program great Sean May on Instagram, with May following him back as well. So, you're saying there's a chance?

Micah Handlogten receiving interest from UNC basketball has people talking

While this is fun to see and talk about, let's not forget that there are some hoops to jump through for this to even be a possibility. As things stand, Handlogten is out of eligibility, but he is pursuing a medical hardship waiver to see if he can play one more season. On top of that, he could see if he could join the five-for-five lawsuit that plenty of 2022 signees are going through.

If he does get a medical redshirt, though, that seems like the clearest path for him to hit some NCAA hardwoods next campaign, but there are a lot of moving parts there. You've got to figure plenty of teams would be ready to go after him, as he'd instantly become a top playmaker available in the portal.

And there's no question he would be an ideal fit for what North Carolina needs right now. Despite Sayon Keita, Alexandros Samodurov, and Cade Bannerman being added this offseason, the depth at center is still a concern for Malone and his staff. A player with Handlogten's experience could quickly make an immediate impact and give Malone key minutes when his number is called.

As excited as we are about Keita, he's going to take some time to develop. While he may be a 5-star signee, fans can't expect the FC Barcelona youngster to be a superstar from the start. Samodurov also has high expectations, but he isn't a major scoring threat, and certainly not enough to replace Henri Veesaar all on his own.

Handlogten isn't a scoring machine either, averaging 4.1 points per contest last season. However, he's a solid rebounder, plus he's strong on the defensive end. You can't teach Handlogten's 7-1, 265-pound size either, which would of course be an added bonus for Malone and May.

Carolina still has one roster spot open despite recently adding veteran guard Angelo Brizzi. Only time will tell if the Handlogten to UNC buzz continues to grow or not, but he instantly becomes a player for the Carolina faithful to keep a close eye on. If Malone does work his magic here, it'd be a tremendous get at this point of the offseason for the Tar Heels, and definitely a needed one.

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