Dont expect to see towering Florida freshman Olivier Rioux on the court this season for the Gators.
Florida coach Todd Golden said Thursday that the plan is for the 7-foot-9 freshman to redshirt in 2024-25. Rioux hasnt appeared in any of the Gators three games so far this season, though coach Todd Golden said that fans have been chanting for Rioux to appear at the end of blowout wins already.
From the Gainesville Sun:
Rioux holds a Guinness record for being the tallest teenager. That record came when he was listed at 7-6, too. Hes grown three inches since then and weighs over 300 pounds. Here’s a clip of him playing at the FIBA U19 championships in 2023. Rioux is a native of Montreal and played at IMG Academy in Florida before signing with the Gators.
When he makes his Florida debut, Rioux will be the tallest player to ever get playing time at the top level of college basketball. Right now, two players are tied for that honor at 7-7. Kenny George last played at UNC Asheville in 2008 and Mike Lanier played at Hardin-Simmons and UCLA in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
If you want to put Riouxs height into perspective, hes listed at five inches taller than former Purdue center Zach Edey. The two-time Naismith winner was a lottery pick of the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this season.