Olivier Rioux is in the record books again.
The 7-foot-9 Florida redshirt freshman became the tallest player to ever score in a college basketball game when he tallied his first two career points Wednesday in a 102-61 win over Saint Francis.
Rioux dunked with 42 seconds left and the crowd at the Stephen O. Connell Center erupted.
“We were just going crazy,” Florida guard Xaivian Lee said, “ya’ll saw it.”
Rioux is one of college basketball’s most notable players due to his sheer size, having previously entered the Guinness World Book of Records in 2022 as the world’s tallest teenager.
The Canada native is one inch taller than previous collegiate record holder Paul Sturgess.
Rioux did not play last year as a freshman during the Gators’ run to the national championship, resulting in his redshirt year.
He made his historic collegiate debut last month in a blowout win over Northern Florida when he tallied two minutes, and added three more against Merrimack in November.
“It’s just mental and you just keep going and you just grind, I guess,” Rioux said of waiting for his chance after his first career game.
Wednesday’s blowout non-conference win afforded another chance for Rioux, and he entered with 1:46 remaining.
His record-setting bucket came when Florida freshman CJ Ingram found the massive center streaking in the lane and connected with a bounce pass that set up an easy score.
Rioux avoided contact and barely had to leave the ground for a slam that gave the No. 23 Gators a 102-59 lead in the final minute.
Florida’s bench went wild after the score, with one player on the court even flexing, and the home fans gave him a loud ovation with some even jumping up and down.
“Pretty special, man, in transition, his vertical, woo, he was up there, man” Florida coach Todd Golden said of the dunk. “Counted that thing.”
Florida has two more non-conference clashes against Colgate on Sunday and Dartmouth on Dec. 29 before beginning SEC play, which likely represent the last chances for Rioux to take the floor this year.
Regardless of whether he appears in another game, Rioux can take comfort knowing that his patient journey paid off with a special moment Wednesday.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
