{"id":200179,"date":"2026-03-21T07:13:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T07:13:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/200179\/"},"modified":"2026-03-21T07:13:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T07:13:15","slug":"floridas-olivier-rioux-at-7-foot-9-becomes-tallest-player-to-appear-in-ncaa-tournament-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/200179\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida\u2019s Olivier Rioux, at 7-foot-9, becomes tallest player to appear in NCAA Tournament game"},"content":{"rendered":"

TAMPA, Fla. \u2014 With 8 1\/2 minutes left in Florida\u2019s 114-55 first-round rout of Prairie View A&M, Gators fans began chanting for history that had nothing to do with the final score or their team\u2019s quest for a second consecutive national championship.<\/p>\n

We want Ol-lie!<\/p>\n

When the second chant bubbled up a few moments later, Ollie \u2014 Olivier Rioux \u2014 started smiling at the end of the Gators\u2019 bench. By the sixth one, the chant turned into a triumphant cheer. They finally got their wish.<\/p>\n

Rioux became the tallest player ever to appear in the NCAA Tournament when he closed out the final 1:54 of the second-largest tournament blowout ever with a put-back dunk for the No. 1 seed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels amazing,\u201d Rioux said.<\/p>\n

Rioux\u2019s size has already earned several distinctions on and off the court. At age 16, he was 7 feet 5, making him the world\u2019s tallest teenager, according to the Guinness World Records.<\/p>\n

Earlier this season, he became the tallest player to play in a college basketball game (Nov. 6 against North Florida), the tallest player to score in a game (Nov. 21 against Merrimack) and the tallest player to make a field goal in a game (a dunk against St. Francis on Dec. 17). Over his 10 appearances before Friday, he scored 5 points and grabbed four boards over 14 minutes.<\/p>\n

Even on a team with towering size, Rioux stands out. On the bench, he sits a head taller than everyone else. In the huddle, he\u2019s 8 inches taller than the next biggest Gator, the 7-foot-1 senior Micah Handlogten. On the court, he was 16 inches taller than the first player he stood next to, Panthers guard Elijah Mitchell.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s Florida\u2019s Olivier Rioux greeting wrestling star Titus O\u2019Neil. Rioux is now the tallest player ever to appear in the NCAA Tournament. pic.twitter.com\/7fogsoyYt0<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Matt Baker (@MattBakerCFB) March 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

But that\u2019s only part of Rioux\u2019s story. He\u2019s a Quebec native who chose to work on his game by trekking all the way to IMG Academy, the prep powerhouse in Bradenton, Fla. \u2014 50 miles south of Friday\u2019s venue, Benchmark International Arena. Some of his former high school teammates there were among Friday\u2019s announced crowd of 20,112. Ken Kirkley wasn\u2019t one of them, but he\u2019s been following the Gators long enough to know that Rioux is the kind of player that deserves respect.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s the underdog,\u201d said Kirkley, one of the Florida supporters who spent most of the final 10 minutes chanting for Rioux. \u201cIt\u2019s the embodiment of being a Gator.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rioux redshirted last season during Florida\u2019s national championship run as he developed his game and 305-pound frame. When he got to Gainesville, he ran the court in 12 seconds. Now, thanks to his bonus work after practices, it\u2019s closer to 9.<\/p>\n

The extra speed added with his length have made him a trickier matchup on the scout team for teammates like Rueben Chinyelu to rebound against. Stack those practice sessions on top of each other, and his role in Florida\u2019s 27-7 season is bigger than his stats show.<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle things you don\u2019t pay attention to, it\u2019s helped,\u201d Chinyelu said.<\/p>\n

Chinyelu was Rioux\u2019s biggest cheerleader Friday night. Chinyelu knows how much Rioux and the other reserves have done to help Florida gear up for a shot at another Final Four (or more), so he wants them to share in the glory, too.<\/p>\n

During one of the \u201cWe want Ol-lie\u201d chants, Rioux started waving his arms so fans would pump up the volume.<\/p>\n

When Rioux finally took off his warmup shirt with 3 1\/2 minutes to go, the crowd erupted again. The roars come with pressure.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s pretty unbelievable,\u201d said forward Alex Condon, an Australia native. \u201cHe\u2019s a very tall bloke. He comes out there, and everyone\u2019s chanting to get him the ball. He does a great job managing that pressure and taking the right shots.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rioux missed the first two but got the ball back moments later on a rebound. He lunged ahead.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw a wide-open dunk,\u201d Rioux said.<\/p>\n

He hammered it home. The crowd erupted again.<\/p>\n

Rioux\u2019s final stat line wasn\u2019t stunning: two rebounds, one assist and that unforgettable dunk. But the dunk wasn\u2019t the end. After the ball slammed through the net, Rioux turned to use the speed he\u2019s been honing to hustle back on defense. He did his job.<\/p>\n

It might not sound like much, but it\u2019s progress for a fan favorite trying to show he can be something bigger than just the tallest player in the game<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very important,\u201d Rioux said. \u201cI think I did that today.\u201d<\/p>\n