Olivier Rioux, back center, a 7-foot-9 NCAA college basketball player at Florida, gathers with coaches and teammates at the team's practice, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Gainesville, Fla.

Image Credit: (AP Photo/John Raoux)

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Walking from his apartment to classes and then to the University of Florida’s basketball facility, Olivier Rioux poses for dozens — sometimes hundreds — of pictures a day.

Vertical shots, of course. Rioux won’t fit in the frame any other way.

At 7 feet, 9 inches (2.4 meters), Rioux is the ultimate BMOC. He’s actually the Biggest Man On Campus — any campus.

The Florida freshman, a happy-go-lucky Canadian who owns a spot in the Guinness record book as the world’s tallest teenager, also will make basketball history when he plays for the 21st-ranked Gators this season. The cheerful guy known as “Oli” will become the tallest to play college hoops, supplanting 7-foot-7 Kenny George of UNC Asheville (2006-08).

He’s 2 inches (5 centimeters) taller than former NBA giants Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol, and 3 inches taller than popular big men Yao Ming, Tacko Fall and Shawn Bradley.

“You get asked questions every day,” said Rioux, who likes to draw in his spare time. “You don’t have a single three seconds to yourself when you’re outside, which I was fine with because my brother and my dad are tall. And, as a family, we used to go out. That’s just how it was, and you can’t change that because people are curious.”

His college teammates have gotten used to it by now.

“It’s really weird looking up to someone,” said 7-foot-1 center Micah Handlogten. “But being around him just about every day, it’s just different when you’re out in public with him. People normally ask me, ‘You’re so tall. Do you play basketball?’ No one says a word to me (now). Everyone just looks to him. It’s kind of crazy. He doesn’t shy away from it.”

Rioux actually embraces it. He welcomes the stares, the questions and all the requests.

“It does help to be Canadian,” he quipped. “You just get used to it. Talking to people is nice because they are curious, and you can’t change that.”

Rioux has worked hard to prepare for Division I basketball, but no one expects him to be a star at this level, certainly not right away. The Gators do expect Rioux to be a fan favorite, beginning with their season opener against USF on Monday night. Coach Todd Golden predicts it will be like nothing he’s ever experienced, with chants for Rioux late in games.

“That one we can see coming from a mile away,” Golden said. "About 95% of my conversations with random people about our team are about him. It’s the first time we’ve been ranked since 2019 and it’s like, ‘Hey, Coach, we’re really excited to see Oli out there this year.’ And I get it, man. He’s a very unique individual.”

Rioux grew up in Terrebonne, Quebec, and realized at an early age he was different. He was taller than most of his teachers in elementary school, crossed the 6-foot mark by age 8 and topped 7 feet the summer before seventh grade.

His mom is 6-2, dad is 6-8 and his older brother is 6-9.

“At my meemaw’s house, we had the wall (where) me and my brother used to measure ourselves. And then one day, poof, my brother was gone,” Rioux said, recalling the day he “officially” outgrew his entire family.

Back home in Canada, Rioux has a number of custom-made items to make life more comfortable, most notably his bed. On campus, though, he barely fits diagonally across a queen-sized mattress.

He has to duck to get through near every doorway and often hits his head. He wears a size 20 shoe, gets most of his wardrobe from team gear and won’t dare ride a scooter because “I don’t trust myself.” And squeezing into a classroom desk is more comical than a point guard trying to box him out.

He started playing basketball at age 5 and ended up at IMG Academy in Sarasota, about three hours south of Gainesville, for high school. He had offers from UC Irvine and Morehead State but ended up at Florida as a preferred walk-on.

He’s one of six international players on Golden’s roster and a clear project despite having played in several FIBA events with the Canadian national team, including the 2024 U18 FIBA AmeriCup and the 2023 U19 World Cup.

“The great thing in our minds is we think he has potential to play at some point,” Golden said. “He’s more than just a 7-9 guy. He’s had some really good moments in practice, super coachable and I’m excited for him to get to this point next year and kind of see where we’re at."

Rioux has made strides in just a few months. His mobility and coordination have improved — he can wrap his leg around his head — along with his conditioning. Golden still wants him to use his 305-pound frame to become “more of a butt-kicker” in the low post.

“He has flashes in practice where he’ll make some plays and you’re like, ‘Whoa,’” Golden said. “Like, obviously, we can’t do that with anybody else.”

Rioux can dunk without leaving his feet and has a nearly unstoppable hook shot. He wears No. 32 because of his affection for Pro Basketball Hall of Famers Magic Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal, a fellow 7-footer.

He’d like to pattern his game after former Purdue center Zach Edey (7-4) and French superstar Victor Wembanyama (7-3), who is currently considered the gold standard for 7-footers.

“Oh my God,” Rioux gushed.

Most people have the same reaction when seeing Rioux for the first time. He towers over teammates and classmates, and just about every picture taken of him goes viral.

“He doesn’t seek the attention, but he also doesn’t get annoyed at the people that ask,” Handlogten said. “He embraces it because it’s part of him, and he loves that. If someone comes up and asks for pictures, he’s like, ‘Yeah, of course.’ And he always has that bright smile on his face. It’s awesome.”

News from © The Associated Press, 2024