10/29/24 03:16:00
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10/29 15:11 CDT At 7 feet, 9 inches, Olivier Rioux is the world's tallest teen
and an intriguing basketball project
At 7 feet, 9 inches, Olivier Rioux is the world's tallest teen and an
intriguing basketball project
By MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) --- Walking from his apartment to classes and then to
the University of Florida's basketball facility, Olivier Rioux poses for dozens
--- sometimes hundreds --- of pictures a day.
Vertical shots, of course. Rioux won't fit in the frame any other way.
At 7 feet, 9 inches (2.4 meters), Rioux is the ultimate BMOC. He's actually the
Biggest Man On Campus --- any campus.
The Florida freshman, a happy-go-lucky Canadian who owns a spot in the Guinness
record book as the world's tallest teenager, also will make basketball history
when he plays for the 21st-ranked Gators this season. The cheerful guy known as
"Oli" will become the tallest to play college 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 3 inches taller than popular big men Yao Ming, Tacko Fall
and Shawn Bradley.
"You get asked questions every day," said Rioux, who likes to draw in his spare
time. "You don't have a single three seconds to yourself when you're outside,
which I was fine with because my brother and my dad are tall. And, as a family,
we used to go out. That's just how it was, and you can't change that because
people are curious."
His college teammates have gotten used to it by now.
"It's really weird looking up to someone," said 7-foot-1 center Micah
Handlogten. "But being around him just about every day, it's just different
when you're out in public with him. People normally ask me, ?You're so tall. Do
you play basketball?' No one says a word to me (now). Everyone just looks to
him. It's kind of crazy. He doesn't shy away from it."
Rioux actually embraces it. He welcomes the stares, the questions and all the
requests.
"It does help to be Canadian," he quipped. "You just get used to it. Talking to
people is nice because they are curious, and you can't change that."
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 he's ever
experienced, with chants for Rioux late in games.
"That one we can see coming from a mile away," Golden said. "About 95% of my
conversations with random people about our team are about him. It's the first
time we've been ranked since 2019 and it's like, ?Hey, Coach, we're really
excited to see Oli out there this year.' And I get it, man. He's a very unique
individual."
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 my meemaw's house, we had the wall (where) me and my brother used to
measure ourselves. And then one day, poof, my brother was gone," Rioux said,
recalling the day he "officially" outgrew his entire family.
Back home in Canada, Rioux has a number of custom-made items to make life more
comfortable, most notably his bed. On campus, though, he barely fits diagonally
across a queen-sized mattress.
He has to duck to get through near every doorway and often hits his head. He
wears a size 20 shoe, gets most of his wardrobe from team gear and won't dare
ride a scooter because "I don't trust myself." And squeezing into a classroom
desk is more comical than a point guard trying to box him out.
He started playing basketball at age 5 and ended up at IMG Academy in Sarasota,
about three hours south of Gainesville, for high school. He had offers from UC
Irvine and Morehead State but ended up at Florida as a preferred walk-on.
He's one of six international players on Golden's roster and a clear project
despite having played in several FIBA events with the Canadian national team,
including the 2024 U18 FIBA AmeriCup and the 2023 U19 World Cup.
"The great thing in our minds is we think he has potential to play at some
point," Golden said. "He's more than just a 7-9 guy. He's had some really good
moments in practice, super coachable and I'm excited for him to get to this
point next year and kind of see where we're at."
Rioux has made strides in just a few months. His mobility and coordination have
improved --- he can wrap his leg around his head --- along with his
conditioning. Golden still wants him to use his 305-pound frame to become "more
of a butt-kicker" in the low post.
"He has flashes in practice where he'll make some plays and you're like,
?Whoa,'" Golden said. "Like, obviously, we can't do that with anybody else."
Rioux can dunk without leaving his feet and has a nearly unstoppable hook shot.
He wears No. 32 because of his affection for Pro Basketball Hall of Famers
Magic Johnson and Shaquille O'Neal, a fellow 7-footer.
He'd like to pattern his game after former Purdue center Zach Edey (7-4) and
French superstar Victor Wembanyama (7-3), who is currently considered the gold
standard for 7-footers.
"Oh my God," Rioux gushed.
Most people have the same reaction when seeing Rioux for the first time. He
towers over teammates and classmates, and just about every picture taken of him
goes viral.
"He doesn't seek the attention, but he also doesn't get annoyed at the people
that ask," Handlogten said. "He embraces it because it's part of him, and he
loves that. If someone comes up and asks for pictures, he's like, ?Yeah, of
course.' And he always has that bright smile on his face. It's awesome."
___
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