Florida’s 7ft 9in Oliver Rioux Becomes Tallest Player In College Basketball History

Florida coach Todd Golden had group yelling astatine him astatine halftime Thursday nighttime to get 7ft 9un halfway Olivier Rioux successful nan game.

Golden relented pinch 2:09 to play – and made history successful nan process – aft chants of “We Want Ollie” swept done nan O’Connell Center.

Rioux became nan tallest personification to ever play assemblage hoops erstwhile he made his debut successful a 104-64 triumph complete North Florida. Rioux, a 19-year-old redshirt freshman from Canada and nan world’s tallest teenager, drew truthful overmuch attraction from nan Ospreys that he didn’t moreover touch nan ball.

“It felt great,” Rioux said. “The support from everybody was amazing, moreover connected nan chair and moreover nan fans. I deliberation everybody supported me. I’m very grateful.”

When asked astir making history, Rioux quipped: “It’s different day, I guess.”

Rioux made everyone successful attendance smile. Even North Florida guardant Trey Cady smirked erstwhile he measured himself against Rioux. Cady was giving up much than a ft successful nan matchup.

“There’s group yelling astatine maine astatine halftime astir playing him,” Golden said. “I’m like, ‘Listen, it will happen. The clip will come.’”

Rioux is 2 inches (five centimeters) taller than erstwhile NBA giants Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol, and 3 inches taller than celebrated large men Yao Ming, Tacko Fall and Shawn Bradley. He already owned a spot successful nan Guinness grounds book erstwhile he signed pinch Florida successful 2024.

Golden gave Rioux nan action of playing sparingly past play aliases taking a redshirt play and moving connected his game. Rioux chose nan latter. Nonetheless, he was a stepping viral video, from riding his motorcycle connected campus, to ducking nether each doorway, to cutting down nets while opinionated flat-footed during Florida’s NCAA Tournament run.

“He’s put successful a batch of awesome work,” Golden said. “To his credit, he’s kept a awesome cognition without getting a batch of reward successful position of playing clip and opportunity.”

Golden had made it clear that Rioux would only play precocious successful blowouts, nan consequence of having each 4 frontcourt players returning. But Olivier doubled down connected wanting to beryllium astatine Florida and welcomed nan situation of playing against Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu, and Micah Handlogten successful believe and down them successful games.

“I talked to nan guys astatine halftime erstwhile we’re up 24 and I expressed to them nan value of getting disconnected to a really bully commencement truthful we tin get immoderate of nan younger guys and immoderate of nan guys from down connected nan chair an opportunity to play and to get immoderate rip,” Golden said. “Obviously nan crippled was successful our power and thought it would beryllium a bully opportunity to get him retired location and get his first assemblage experience, and I deliberation he was beautiful excited.

“It was beautiful neat for him to yet spot nan floor.”

Fans delivered nan loudest ovation of nan crippled – 2nd only to Florida unveiling their title banner during pregame introductions – erstwhile Golden motioned to Rioux astatine nan extremity of nan bench. Rioux pulled disconnected his long-sleeved T-shirt and hustled to nan scorer’s array to cheque in.

Teammates and coaches celebrated wildly, and fans screamed each clip nan shot sewage adjacent Rioux. He’ll person to hold until his adjacent outing to really touch it.

“So overmuch fun,” Handlogten said. “When he was checking into nan game, I benignant of stopped him and I was like, ’Play pinch confidence. You’ve worked your butt disconnected for 2 years now to get to this spot. Now’s your moment. This is your clip to shine.

“To spot him retired location moving up and down nan tribunal pinch a small grin connected his face, it was really bully to see.”