Before he even played his first game for Florida, center Olivier Rioux became one of the most recognizable players in college basketball last season. It was hard not to recognize him, of course—at 7' 9", Rioux is perhaps the tallest basketball player in the sport’s history, and as the Gators marched to the national championship, he went viral every time he was able to cut down a piece of the net without so much as considering a ladder.
The Québécois big man opted to redshirt for the entire 2024–25 season in order to maintain a year of eligibility and develop as a player—and adjust to life on a big SEC campus as a nearly eight-foot tall freshman. Even before he played a second for Florida, he became a true fan favorite, as was evident when he made his way onto the court for his first true game action on Thursday night.
As Rioux entered the game late in the second half of the Gators’ 104–64 win over North Florida, the O’Connell Center exploded in cheers.
Canadian 19-year old, Olivier Rioux, checked in for the Florida Gators becoming the tallest D1 college basketball player in history standing at 7'9 😳🇨🇦
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 7, 2025
(via: @camparker25)pic.twitter.com/Q3LgDiYJ9T
Seeing Rioux play became even more surreal when he set up near the basket, guarded by the Ospreys’ Trey Cady, who is listed at 6' 8". Cady couldn’t help but to look up at Rioux multiple times, figuring out how he’d defend what had to be his first opponent a full foot taller than him since he was a child.
Rioux didn’t get a touch in his two minutes on the court, but like Cady, his college career is looking up. By stepping on the court, he officially became the tallest player in NCAA history, and Rioux is taller than the NBA’s legendary giants like Gheorghe Mureșan and Manute Bol, who were both listed at 7' 7".
Rioux, for his part, downplayed the historic nature of his appearance, quipping after the game, “It’s another day, I guess.”
“It felt great,” he added, per ESPN. “The support from everybody was amazing, even on the bench and even the fans. I think everybody supported me. I'm very grateful.”
More College Basketball from Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Florida’s 7' 9" Center Olivier Rioux Made a 6' 8" Opponent Look Tiny in Historic Debut.
