Olivier Rioux, 7-foot-9 NCAA school basketball participant at Florida, poses for a photograph after follow, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Picture/John Raoux)
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Strolling from his condo to lessons after which to the College of Florida’s basketball facility, Olivier Rioux poses for dozens — typically tons of — of images a day.
Vertical photographs, in fact. Rioux gained’t match within the body some other approach.
At 7 toes, 9 inches (2.4 meters), Rioux is the final word BMOC. He’s truly the Largest Man On Campus — any campus.
World’s tallest teenager
The Florida freshman, a happy-go-lucky Canadian who owns a spot within the Guinness report guide because the world’s tallest teenager, additionally will make basketball historical past when he performs for the Twenty first-ranked Gators this season. The cheerful man referred to as “Oli” will turn out to be the tallest to play school hoops, supplanting 7-foot-7 Kenny George of UNC Asheville (2006-08).
He’s 2 inches (5 centimeters) taller than former NBA giants Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol, and three inches taller than well-liked large males Yao Ming, Tacko Fall and Shawn Bradley.
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“You get requested questions day-after-day,” stated Rioux, who likes to attract in his spare time. “You don’t have a single three seconds to your self whenever you’re exterior, which I used to be effective with as a result of my brother and my dad are tall. And, as a household, we used to exit. That’s simply the way it was, and you may’t change that as a result of persons are curious.”
His school teammates have gotten used to it by now.
“It’s actually bizarre wanting as much as somebody,” stated 7-foot-1 middle Micah Handlogten. “However being round him nearly day-after-day, it’s simply completely different whenever you’re out in public with him. Individuals usually ask me, ‘You’re so tall. Do you play basketball?’ Nobody says a phrase to me (now). Everybody simply seems to him. It’s sort of loopy. He doesn’t shrink back from it.”
Rioux truly embraces it. He welcomes the stares, the questions and all of the requests.
“It does assist to be Canadian,” he quipped. “You simply get used to it. Speaking to individuals is good as a result of they’re curious, and you may’t change that.”
Getting ready for Division 1 basketball
Rioux has labored exhausting to organize for Division I basketball, however nobody expects him to be a star at this stage, definitely not immediately. The Gators do count on Rioux to be a fan favourite, starting with their season opener towards USF on Monday evening. Coach Todd Golden predicts it is going to be like nothing he’s ever skilled, with chants for Rioux late in video games.
“That one we will see coming from a mile away,” Golden stated. “About 95% of my conversations with random individuals about our crew are about him. It’s the primary time we’ve been ranked since 2019 and it’s like, ‘Hey, Coach, we’re actually excited to see Oli on the market this 12 months.’ And I get it, man. He’s a really distinctive particular person.”
Rioux grew up in Terrebonne, Quebec, and realized at an early age he was completely different. He was taller than most of his academics in elementary faculty, crossed the 6-foot mark by age 8 and topped 7 toes the summer time earlier than seventh grade.
Household are 6 footers
His mother is 6-2, dad is 6-8 and his older brother is 6-9.
“At my meemaw’s home, we had the wall (the place) me and my brother used to measure ourselves. After which sooner or later, poof, my brother was gone,” Rioux stated, recalling the day he “formally” outgrew his complete household.
Again residence in Canada, Rioux has numerous custom-made objects to make life extra comfy, most notably his mattress. On campus, although, he barely matches diagonally throughout a queen-sized mattress.
He has to duck to get via close to each doorway and sometimes hits his head. He wears a measurement 20 shoe, will get most of his wardrobe from crew gear and gained’t dare experience a scooter as a result of “I don’t belief myself.” And squeezing right into a classroom desk is extra comical than a degree guard attempting to field him out.
He began taking part in basketball at age 5 and ended up at IMG Academy in Sarasota, about three hours south of Gainesville, for highschool. He had gives from UC Irvine and Morehead State however ended up at Florida as a most well-liked walk-on.
He’s one among six worldwide gamers on Golden’s roster and a transparent undertaking regardless of having performed in a number of FIBA occasions with the Canadian nationwide crew, together with the 2024 U18 FIBA AmeriCup and the 2023 U19 World Cup.
“The good factor in our minds is we predict he has potential to play sooner or later,” Golden stated. “He’s greater than only a 7-9 man. He’s had some actually good moments in follow, tremendous coachable and I’m excited for him to get thus far subsequent 12 months and sort of see the place we’re at.”
Rioux has made strides in just some months. His mobility and coordination have improved — he can wrap his leg round his head — alongside along with his conditioning. Golden nonetheless desires him to make use of his 305-pound body to turn out to be “extra of a butt-kicker” within the low submit.
“He has flashes in follow the place he’ll make some performs and also you’re like, ‘Whoa,’” Golden stated. “Like, clearly, we will’t do this with anyone else.”
Dunk with out leaving his toes
Rioux can dunk with out leaving his toes and has an almost unstoppable hook shot. He wears No. 32 due to his affection for Professional Basketball Corridor of Famers Magic Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal, a fellow 7-footer.
He’d wish to sample his recreation after former Purdue middle Zach Edey (7-4) and French celebrity Victor Wembanyama (7-3), who’s at present thought-about the gold normal for 7-footers.
“Oh my God,” Rioux gushed.
Most individuals have the identical response when seeing Rioux for the primary time. He towers over teammates and classmates, and nearly each image taken of him goes viral.
“He doesn’t search the eye, however he additionally doesn’t get irritated on the folks that ask,” Handlogten stated. “He embraces it as a result of it’s a part of him, and he loves that. If somebody comes up and asks for photos, he’s like, ‘Yeah, in fact.’ And he at all times has that vivid smile on his face. It’s superior.”
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