The tallest college basketball player in the world is moving.
The most well-liked athlete on campus, Olivier Rioux, a 7-foot-9 center from Canada, announced on Tuesday that he is using the transfer portal. On April 7, the site will formally launch.
After redshirting as a true freshman during the team’s national title season, Rioux played infrequently during his two years with the Gators. This past season, he was called up for mop-up duty. He finished with seven points, six rebounds, and an assist after playing 15 minutes in total.
Before he even set foot on campus, he became the tallest teen in the world, setting a Guinness World Record. As a third-year sophomore, he is now twenty years old and seeking an opportunity to play more.
Rioux posted on Instagram, saying, “I’ve decided to enter the transfer portal after taking time to reflect on my journey and what’s best for my future.”
When Rioux made his debut in a 104-64 victory over North Florida last November, he became the tallest player in collegiate basketball history. Three games later, after being fouled, he made a free throw to score. It was also his first rebound.
Rioux is three inches taller than well-known big players Yao Ming, Tacko Fall, and Shawn Bradley, and two inches (5 centimeters) taller than former NBA titans Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol. When he signed with Florida in 2024, he already had a place in the Guinness record book.
Golden offered Rioux the choice of taking a redshirt season and honing his skills or playing sparingly as a true freshman. Rioux went with the latter option. He was a walking viral video, though, from cutting down nets while standing flat-footed during Florida’s NCAA Tournament run to riding his specially constructed bike on campus and crouching under every doorway.
Due to the return of all four frontcourt players, Golden made it plain prior to the season that Rioux would only play late in blowouts. However, Rioux reaffirmed his desire to attend Florida and embraced the challenge of playing behind Micah Handlogten, Rueben Chinyelu, Alex Condon, and Thomas Haugh in games and against them in practice.
He was always the more attractive one, literally.
