Story by
7-foot-9 college hoopster Olivier Rioux is finally playing — and dominating
- Story by
- 7-foot-9 college hoopster Olivier Rioux is finally playing — and dominating
The tallest college basketball player of all time is looking like a weapon for UC Irvine.
Olivier Rioux, a 7-foot-9-inch center who played for Florida for two years but was mostly a bench warmer, debuted for the Anteaters on Tuesday and the results were big.
Advertisement
Rioux went for 13 points and 12 rebounds in 18 minutes in a 92-66 rout over the Chapman Panthers.
UC Irvine's Olivier Rioux tallies 13 points and 12 rebounds during a season-opening 92-66 win over Chapman. ESPN
Rioux was second on the team in points scored while he started for Anteaters on Tuesday, and figures to be a fixture for the team going forward.
In one particularly bizarre play, Rioux dunked the ball from behind the basket as close to the baseline as possible without stepping out of bounds.
The Canadian-born center transferred to UC Irvine after hardly playing while with the Florida Gators, though he did win a national championship during a redshirt year with the team in 2025.
His transfer to UC Irvine was a strategic one, as Rioux wanted to team up with Russell Turner , the Anteaters coach who previously developed 7-foot-6 center Mamadou Ndiaye into a Big West Defensive Player of the Year.
Advertisement
With some hard work, Rioux can reach those lofty standards with even better success as Ndiaye did not reach the NBA.
Ndiaye went undrafted after previously being the tallest player in NCAA basketball history and he only briefly played some Summer League ball for the Warriors.
Olivier Rioux scored a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds on his debut for UC Irvine during a 92-66 win over Chapman. ESPN
Rioux will need to prove to teams that he can play with the big boys at the NBA level, and it will start with strong defense and rebounding.
Rioux had one block in his debut with the Anteaters and will have a chance to impress evaluators Saturday when they host San Jose State.
