Before Olivier Rioux plays a Florida men’s basketball game, his place in the Guinness World Record books grew even stronger, extending his mark as the world’s tallest teenager from 7 feet 7 inches two months ago to 7 feet 9 inches currently.
Rioux’s height, three inches shy of eight feet tall, will also make him possibly the tallest player to ever play Division I basketball.
Last year, Ole Miss’ Jamarion Sharp and Missouri’s Connor Vanover were the tallest players in Division I at 7 feet 5 inches, four inches shorter than Rioux.
The tallest players in NBA history are Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol, both 7 feet 7 inches, Rioux’s height two months ago.
At age 15, Rioux was 7 feet 5 inches tall. That height alone was sure to draw interest from college programs, and he committed to the Gators last November.
Olivier Rioux to become tallest player in Division I men’s basketball this fall
The 7-foot-9 Rioux towers over normal-height high schoolers and everyone else.
Rioux visited Florida last October and didn’t have to wait long to make his college decision, as the largest school in his home state offered him a scholarship.
Rioux is a three-star prospect according to the 247Sports compoundranking outside the top 300 players in the country for the 2024 recruiting class.
The chart also ranks Rioux, who plays for private school powerhouse IMG Academy in Bradenton, as the 53rd-best center in the country and the 27th-ranked player in the state of Florida.
Rioux also had offers from Stetson and Florida Atlantic, who reached the Final Four in 2023 under former head coach Dusty May.
Nebraska was the only other top Division I school to show legitimate interest in Rioux, according to 247.
Rioux will enroll this fall at Gainesville and join a Gators team that made the NCAA Tournament last season.
Colorado eliminated Florida in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in March.