7-foot-9 Florida Center Olivier Rioux Makes Historic College Hoops Debut
During halftime of Florida’s decisive victory over Northern Florida on Thursday night, coach Todd Golden overheard fans urging him to play redshirt freshman Olivier Rioux. Gators fans had been eagerly anticipating the moment to see the tallest player in college basketball history take the court.
Golden responded,
“I said, ‘Listen, it will happen, the time will come.’ I can be stubborn. I don’t listen to direction very well at times, so when they’re yelling at me to do it, it’s kinda like, ‘Well, maybe I’ll wait a little longer.’”
With just over two minutes left in the game and a comfortable lead, chants of “We Want Ollie” filled the arena, prompting Golden to finally call Rioux into the game. The 7-foot-9 center rose from the bench, drew wild cheers from the crowd, and officially set the record as the tallest player ever to play college basketball.
- Rioux played two minutes in Florida’s 104-64 win over Northern Florida.
- He did not record any statistics during his time on the court.
- Rioux expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support from fans and teammates.
“The support from everybody was amazing, even on the bench and even the fans. I think everybody supported, and I’m very grateful.”
Coach Todd Golden and fans alike celebrated this landmark moment for the Gators and college basketball.
Author's summary: Olivier Rioux, standing 7-foot-9, made a historic debut for Florida, becoming the tallest player in college basketball and receiving enthusiastic support from fans and team alike.