You never know what might happen recruiting wise with North Carolina now that Michael Malone is running the show. That has been made evident with recent news coming in that the Tar Heels may not be done recruiting for next season's roster, as Florida transfer Micah Handlogten has suddenly emerged as a new target for the staff.
To be quite honest, this is not something we had on our bingo card, as the assumption was that Angelo Brizzi took the final roster spot. Not so fast, as the Carolina staff indeed has been in contact with the former Florida big. We knew about Sean May reaching out, but now assistant coach Chuck Martin has joined the party, following Handlogten on Instagram as well.
Per Locked On Tar Heels Podcast host Isaas Schade, he has confirmed that North Carolina has been in contact, but in a surprise twist, he is reporting that UNC has actually been recruiting him for the past few weeks, but that the staff managed to keep things a bit under wraps:
Buzz continues to grow on UNC going after Florida big man Micah Handlogten
"I caught wind through a source that things might be ramping up again," Schade said. "I haven't said anything about it because the source said, 'Hey, we can't talk about it right now, so I'm going to ask you to keep this under wraps.' I want to obey that. I don't want to burn sources, and I want sources to trust me. But now, others have started reporting on it, Inside Carolina has started talking about it, so now that it's out, let's dive into it as though it's a real possibility."
So, you're saying there's a chance? It sure seems like North Carolina and Malone have strong interest here, but there's of course a roadblock standing in the way. That'd be that, for now, Handlogten is out of eligibility. He has played four seasons of college hoops, meaning he'd have to join other 2022 signees in trying to win lawsuits for an extra year.
There's also the route of trying to get a medical hardship waiver, which Handlogten originally started eyeing long ago. However, things remain totally up in the air there, which is not ideal for the Tar Heels. Still, with UNC making a move here, does that tell us that the staff might have some confidence that he'll be given one more extra year in the college ranks?
That's tough to say, but again, it's pretty telling that UNC is recruiting him. Handlogten would fill a key need for this roster, as the center depth still isn't strong with Henri Veesaar now with the Atlanta Hawks. Having Sayon Keita and Alexandros Samodurov on the roster is key, and don't forget about Cade Bannerman either.
Still, no one has the kind of experience that Handlogten does, and his 7-1 frame alone is eye-opening. Handlogten is solid defensively and a monster when it comes to attacking the glass for rebounds. Yes, this won't be easy for Malone to pull off, but the gamble is going to be worth it if Handlogten ultimately signs with the Heels.
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