Florida native Olivier Rioux is making waves on social media this college basketball season.
On March 20, Rioux added another “first” to his list as he entered Florida’s 2026 NCAA Tournament opener against Prairie View A&M.
The Tampa crowd went wild with 1:54 left in the game when Florida head coach Todd Golden finally gave the go-ahead to Rioux, who had been yelling throughout the game, “We want Ollie!”
Florida redshirt freshman Olivier Rioux entered the court with the Gators ahead with 62 points. In doing so, Rioux became the tallest player to ever appear in an NCAA Tournament game.
Rioux seized the moment and hammered home a two-handed dunk for his debut NCAA Tournament points.
The Florida giant closed the game with two points, two rebounds and an assist as the Gators routed Prairie View A&M 114-55.
Who is Olivier Rioux?
Olivier Rioux, a native of Terrebonne, Quebec, Canada, debuted last season for the Gators in the NCAA Tournament.
Rioux is no stranger to records, having previously set the Guinness World Record for the world’s tallest teenager at the age of 16 with a height of 7 feet 7 inches.
Olivier’s long list of “firsts” didn’t just end here.
Rioux stands at a height of 7 feet 9 inches and weighs 305 pounds.
Earlier this season, Rioux earned the title of the tallest player to play at either the amateur or professional level.
Overall, Rioux, Florida’s 7-foot-7 big man, has appeared in 11 games, including six Southeastern Conference games.
Rioux became the tallest player to ever score a point last Dec. 17 when he made a free throw against Merrimack.
Despite the fact that his team lost to No. 1 Florida in the NCAA Tournament on Friday, March 20, he made waves for being the tallest player in college basketball.
