7-Foot-9 Olivier Rioux Is Leaving Florida, and UC Irvine Just Got the Tallest Player in College Basketball History

Olivier Rioux, the tallest player ever to step foot on a college basketball court at 7-foot-9, is done waiting for minutes at Florida. He announced on Instagram that he's transferring to UC Irvine, and yeah, this is actually happening. The guy dunks without even jumping. Think about that for a second.

Why He's Bolting Gainesville

Look, Rioux barely played at Florida. He appeared in just 11 games last season and scored seven points total. Florida coach Todd Golden said the issue was simple: he didn't have the stamina to stay on the court for extended stretches. But here's the real kicker: Florida is expected to roll into next season ranked No. 1 after finishing 27-8 and ranked ninth in the final AP poll. Why? Because they've got three star players staying put. Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon are coming back, and Rueben Chinyelu is expected to withdraw from the NBA draft and stick around too. Rioux, a redshirt sophomore from Quebec, Canada, was never cracking that starting lineup. So he entered the portal in late March looking for actual playing time, and UC Irvine came calling.

The Freak Athlete Nobody Really Got to See

Here's what makes this wild: Rioux is one of only three college basketball players in history taller than Mamadou Ndiaye, who was 7-6 and played at Irvine from 2014 to 2016. And Ndiaye? He made a real impact. The guy was named Big West defensive player of the year twice, helped Irvine win a conference title and make the NCAA tournament, and played five years in the NBA, including a stint with the Clippers in 2004-05.

Rioux's got the physical tools to do something similar. He's a Guinness World Record holder for tallest teenager. He was 6-1 at eight years old, 6-11 by sixth grade, and hit 7 feet the next summer. He played on Canada's national team at various age levels. And those moments people actually saw him? Unforgettable. His first college field goal against Saint Francis in December 2025 was a dunk without jumping. Then in March Madness 2026, he grabbed an offensive rebound and threw down a put-back dunk that people are still talking about.

What's Next for Irvine

UC Irvine went 32-7 last season, won the Big West regular-season title, but lost to Hawaii in the conference tournament. They just lost Guard Jurian Dixon to Virginia this offseason. If Rioux can stay healthy and develop that stamina issue, the Anteaters could be looking at something special. The question is simple: can he do what Ndiaye did, or is he just a circus act? We're about to find out.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.