History Made as 7ft 9in Giant Steps Onto Court
College basketball witnessed an unprecedented moment on Thursday night as Olivier Rioux, standing at a remarkable 7 feet 9 inches, became the tallest person ever to play in the NCAA. The 19-year-old Canadian made his historic debut for the Florida Gators during their commanding 104-64 victory against North Florida at the O'Connell Center.
"We Want Ollie": The Crowd's Demand for History
The atmosphere reached fever pitch as fans began chanting "We Want Ollie" throughout the game, with spectators even shouting at coach Todd Golden during halftime to put the towering freshman in. Golden eventually relented with just 2:09 remaining on the clock, sending Rioux onto the court to a reception that coach Golden described as "pretty neat".
The moment Rioux pulled off his long-sleeved T-shirt and headed to the scorer's table generated the second-loudest ovation of the night, surpassed only by the pregame ceremony where Florida unveiled their championship banner. Teammates and coaches celebrated wildly as the history-making substitution took place.
More Than Just Height: The Journey to College Basketball
Rioux's entry into the record books sees him surpass former NBA giants including Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol by two inches, and stands three inches taller than popular big men Yao Ming, Tacko Fall and Shawn Bradley. The redshirt freshman had already secured a spot in the Guinness World Records before signing with Florida in 2024.
Coach Golden had given Rioux the option of playing sparingly last season or taking a redshirt year to develop his game, with the teenager choosing the latter. Despite not seeing game time, Rioux became something of a campus celebrity, generating viral content from riding his bike around campus to ducking under doorways and cutting down nets while standing flat-footed during Florida's NCAA Tournament run.
"He's put in a lot of great work," Golden acknowledged. "To his credit, he's kept a great attitude without getting a lot of reward in terms of playing time and opportunity."
Although Rioux didn't touch the ball during his two minutes on court, his presence alone caused problems for North Florida's defence. The matchup provided a striking visual when North Florida forward Trey Cady found himself giving up more than a foot in height against the towering freshman.
Teammate Micah Handlogten described the experience as "so much fun", revealing he had stopped Rioux before he checked in to tell him: "Play with confidence. You've worked your butt off for two years now to get to this spot. Now's your moment. This is your time to shine."
Rioux himself remained characteristically humble about making history, simply quipping: "It's another day, I guess." However, he expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support, adding: "It felt great. The support from everybody was amazing, even on the bench and even the fans. I think everybody supported me. I'm very grateful."
