Seems like a good kid, and if he can run without breaking something in his knee or ankle he stands to make millions.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) ā Walking from his apartment to classes and then to the University of Floridaās basketball facility, Olivier Rioux poses for dozens ā sometimes hundreds ā of pictures a day.
Vertical shots, of course. Rioux wonāt fit in the frame any other way.
At 7 feet, 9 inches (2.4 meters), Rioux is the ultimate BMOC. Heās actually the Biggest Man On Campus ā any campus.
The Florida freshman, a happy-go-lucky Canadian who owns a spot in the Guinness record book as the worldās tallest teenager, also will make basketball history when he plays for the 21st-ranked Gators this season. The cheerful guy known as āOliā will become the tallest to play college hoops, supplanting 7-foot-7 Kenny George of UNC Asheville (2006-08).
Heās 2 inches (5 centimeters) taller than former NBA giants Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol, and 3 inches taller than popular big men Yao Ming, Tacko Fall and Shawn Bradley.
āYou get asked questions every day,ā said Rioux, who likes to draw in his spare time. āYou donāt have a single three seconds to yourself when youāre outside, which I was fine with because my brother and my dad are tall. And, as a family, we used to go out. Thatās just how it was, and you canāt change that because people are curious.ā
His college teammates have gotten used to it by now.
āItās really weird looking up to someone,ā said 7-foot-1 center Micah Handlogten. āBut being around him just about every day, itās just different when youāre out in public with him. People normally ask me, āYouāre so tall. Do you play basketball?ā No one says a word to me (now). Everyone just looks to him. Itās kind of crazy. He doesnāt shy away from it.ā
Rioux actually embraces it. He welcomes the stares, the questions and all the requests.
āIt does help to be Canadian,ā he quipped. āYou just get used to it. Talking to people is nice because they are curious, and you canāt change that.ā
Rioux has worked hard to prepare for Division I basketball, but no one expects him to be a star at this level, certainly not right away. The Gators do expect Rioux to be a fan favorite, beginning with their season opener against USF on Monday night. Coach Todd Golden predicts it will be like nothing heās ever experienced, with chants for Rioux late in games.
āThat one we can see coming from a mile away,ā Golden said. "About 95% of my conversations with random people about our team are about him. Itās the first time weāve been ranked since 2019 and itās like, āHey, Coach, weāre really excited to see Oli out there this year.ā And I get it, man. Heās a very unique individual.ā
Rioux grew up in Terrebonne, Quebec, and realized at an early age he was different. He was taller than most of his teachers in elementary school, crossed the 6-foot mark by age 8 and topped 7 feet the summer before seventh grade.
His mom is 6-2, dad is 6-8 and his older brother is 6-9.
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) ā Walking from his apartment to classes and then to the University of Floridaās basketball facility, Olivier Rioux poses for dozens ā sometimes hundreds ā of pictures a day.
Vertical shots, of course. Rioux wonāt fit in the frame any other way.
At 7 feet, 9 inches (2.4 meters), Rioux is the ultimate BMOC. Heās actually the Biggest Man On Campus ā any campus.
The Florida freshman, a happy-go-lucky Canadian who owns a spot in the Guinness record book as the worldās tallest teenager, also will make basketball history when he plays for the 21st-ranked Gators this season. The cheerful guy known as āOliā will become the tallest to play college hoops, supplanting 7-foot-7 Kenny George of UNC Asheville (2006-08).
Heās 2 inches (5 centimeters) taller than former NBA giants Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol, and 3 inches taller than popular big men Yao Ming, Tacko Fall and Shawn Bradley.
āYou get asked questions every day,ā said Rioux, who likes to draw in his spare time. āYou donāt have a single three seconds to yourself when youāre outside, which I was fine with because my brother and my dad are tall. And, as a family, we used to go out. Thatās just how it was, and you canāt change that because people are curious.ā
His college teammates have gotten used to it by now.
āItās really weird looking up to someone,ā said 7-foot-1 center Micah Handlogten. āBut being around him just about every day, itās just different when youāre out in public with him. People normally ask me, āYouāre so tall. Do you play basketball?ā No one says a word to me (now). Everyone just looks to him. Itās kind of crazy. He doesnāt shy away from it.ā
Rioux actually embraces it. He welcomes the stares, the questions and all the requests.
āIt does help to be Canadian,ā he quipped. āYou just get used to it. Talking to people is nice because they are curious, and you canāt change that.ā
Rioux has worked hard to prepare for Division I basketball, but no one expects him to be a star at this level, certainly not right away. The Gators do expect Rioux to be a fan favorite, beginning with their season opener against USF on Monday night. Coach Todd Golden predicts it will be like nothing heās ever experienced, with chants for Rioux late in games.
āThat one we can see coming from a mile away,ā Golden said. "About 95% of my conversations with random people about our team are about him. Itās the first time weāve been ranked since 2019 and itās like, āHey, Coach, weāre really excited to see Oli out there this year.ā And I get it, man. Heās a very unique individual.ā
Rioux grew up in Terrebonne, Quebec, and realized at an early age he was different. He was taller than most of his teachers in elementary school, crossed the 6-foot mark by age 8 and topped 7 feet the summer before seventh grade.
His mom is 6-2, dad is 6-8 and his older brother is 6-9.
At 7 feet, 9 inches, Olivier Rioux is the world's tallest teen and an intriguing basketball project
At 7 feet, 9 inches (2.4 meters), Rioux is the ultimate BMOC. The Florida freshman, a happy-go-lucky Canadian who owns a spot in the Guinness record book as the worldās tallest teenager, also will make basketball history when he plays for the 21st-ranked Gators this season. The cheerful guy...
