(Gainesville) Quebecer Olivier Rioux, the tallest university basketball player in the world, wants to change teams.
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Olivier Rioux, who plays for the University of Florida Gators, announced Tuesday that he had registered on the NCAA transfer portal, the equivalent of the transaction market. The portal will officially open on April 7.
The seven-foot, nine-inch center, who hails from Terrebonne, is one of the most popular athletes on the Florida campus.
However, Rioux played little during his two years with the Gators. He was benched in his rookie season, as the team won the American college championship, then he played a role as a reserve for the ends of games last season. He also played 15 minutes in total, finishing with seven points, six rebounds and one assist.
He set a Guinness Record as the world’s tallest teenager, before he even set foot on campus. Now 20, he is looking for a chance to play more as a sophomore.
“After taking the time to reflect on my journey and what is best for my future, I have decided to register on the transfer portal,†Rioux wrote in a message posted on Instagram.
Rioux became the tallest American college basketball player in his debut in a 104-64 victory over the University of North Florida last November. He scored three plays later, making a free throw after being fouled. He also recorded his first rebound.
Rioux is two inches (5 centimeters) taller than ex-NBA giants Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol, and three inches (7.5 centimeters) taller than popular big men Yao Ming, Tacko Fall and Shawn Bradley. He was already in the Guinness Book of Records when he signed with the University of Florida in 2024.
