Florida native Olivier Rioux is making waves on social media this college basketball season.
On March 20, Rioux added another “first” to his list by participating in Florida’s 2026 NCAA Tournament opener against Prairie View A&M.
The Tampa crowd was stunned 1:54 into the game when Florida head coach Todd Golden finally gave the nod to Rioux, who throughout the game had been chanting, “We want Ollie!”
Florida redshirt freshman Olivier Rioux took the court with the Gators ahead by 62 points. Rioux therefore became the tallest player to appear in an NCAA tournament.
Rioux seized the moment and scored a two-handed dunk to earn his debut points in the NCAA tournament.
The Florida giant closed the game with two points, two rebounds and an assist as the Gators defeated Prairie View A&M 114-55.
Who is Olivier Rioux?
Olivier Rioux, with roots in Terrebonne, Quebec, Canada, debuted last season with 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 age 16 with a height of 7 feet 7 inches.
Olivier’s long list of “firsts” did not end here.
Rioux is 7 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 305 pounds.
Earlier this season, Rioux earned the title of becoming the tallest player to have played at 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 highest player to score a point on Dec. 17 of last year, when he made a free throw against Merrimack.
Even though his team lost to the No. 1 team from Florida in the NCAA tournament on Friday, March 20, he made a splash as the tallest player in college basketball.
