Olivier Rioux was previously the world’s tallest teenager and tipped to make a splash in the basketball large leagues
Olivier Rioux turned heads for his top and abilities on the court docket(Image: James Gilbert, Getty Images)
Olivier Rioux attracts consideration earlier than he even units foot on a basketball court. The 20-year-old was formerly the world’s tallest teenager, standing head and shoulders above his contemporaries at an astonishing seven feet and nine inches, which is two inches taller than the tallest-ever NBA participant.
The Canadian centre gained recognition in the lead-up to final yr’s March Madness. He was a part of the Florida Gators facet that captured the NCAA match in 2025.
Basketball fans expected Rioux to attract interest from NBA scouts but Gators head coach Todd Golden had alternative plans. Despite demands for the record-breaking teenager to feature, Rioux was redshirted, meaning he wouldn’t compete during the season to maintain his faculty basketball eligibility.
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The 20-year-old is familiar with the attention his imposing stature attracts, having initially set his previous world record at 15. Yet Rioux also started breaking records on the court in November, becoming the tallest college basketball player in history during his Gators debut against North Florida.
A month later, Rioux shattered another college basketball record. He is the tallest player to have netted a basket at the college level after his score in a 102-61 triumph over Saint Francis.
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However, despite it being his second year with the Gators, the Canada U19 international has largely been a peripheral figure. He has appeared in nine matches this season, clocking up just 15 minutes of play.
Speaking about Rioux’s restricted probabilities at the starting of this yr, coach Golden advised ESPN: “I do know he is sitting over there in all probability like, ‘Damn man, I did not know all these guys had been coming again.’
“So it’s going to be a tough one this year to play. It really will be. But…I do think he has some really good basketball ahead of him, whether it’s here at Florida or somewhere else.”
The Gators head into March Madness as one in all 4 No. 1 seeds, thanks to their 26-7 report in the Southeastern Conference.
Whilst Rioux will not be anticipated to play a big half throughout March Madness, he stays optimistic about his prospects.
“I think a lot of people don’t really know what I’m committed to doing,” he advised ESPN. “Obviously, you see a highlight here and there, but you don’t see what the person is capable of doing. I want to push myself to be able to do that.”
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