7-foot-9 Olivier Rioux, who transferred from Florida to UC Irvine, kicked off his run with the Anteaters on Tuesday by not only putting up a double-double but also becoming the tallest player in college basketball history to start a Division I game. The kid is a legit game-changer, making an immediate splash in a way that should have every opposing coach scrambling for answers.
Immediate Impact in UCI Debut
Rioux didn’t just walk onto the court, he owned it. In UC Irvine’s 92-66 blowout win over Chapman (a Division III squad), he dropped 13 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, plus added a block for good measure. He was super efficient too, hitting 6 of 9 shots from the floor. And get this: he did all that in just 18 minutes of play. Imagine what he’s going to do when he gets a full game under his belt. His first bucket came less than two minutes in, just a casual deep post catch and an easy layup over the defender. It was like he was playing against kids.
A Path Cleared for the Towering Transfer
This isn’t Rioux’s first rodeo, but it’s clearly his best shot at significant minutes. He spent his first two seasons with Florida, even being part of their 2025 national title run. He appeared in 11 games during the 2025-26 season for the Gators, where he made history last season as the tallest player at any college level to score a basket. But the minutes just weren’t there at Florida, where he was behind a stacked frontcourt that included Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh, and Rueben Chinyelu, which was apparently the strongest and most experienced starting frontcourt in the country. That’s why his 18 minutes in the UCI debut are so wild: he logged more time in one game with the Anteaters than his entire two-year career at Florida, where he played a combined 17 minutes. This move to UC Irvine? Pure genius for him.
Standing Tall, Literally
To say Rioux is tall is an understatement. Guinness World Records declared him the tallest teenager in the world back in 2021 when he was 7-feet-5. Last season, when he checked in against North Florida, he became the tallest college basketball player ever to appear in a game. He can touch the rim with his standing reach, for crying out loud. The dude threw down a one-handed dunk in the game that looked like he was dunking on a mini hoop and didn’t even have to jump. Seriously, the footage makes it look like a video game cheat code. And if you want more proof of his insane height, remember when Florida won the Elite Eight in 2025? Rioux didn’t even need a ladder to cut down the nets. The guy is a walking, talking highlight reel waiting to happen. What’s next for him? If this debut is any indication, a whole lot of wins for UC Irvine and a whole lot of headaches for everyone else in college basketball.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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