Florida’s Olivier Rioux, tallest player in college basketball history, to enter transfer portal

Florida center Olivier Rioux, who at 7-foot-9 is the tallest player to ever play college basketball, is planning to enter the transfer portal after two seasons with the Gators, he announced on Tuesday.

The Canadian redshirted last season as the Gators won an NCAA championship. He played 11 games for Florida this season and scored seven points, including a dunk in the Gators’ first-round NCAA Tournament victory against Prairie View A&M.

Olivier Rioux with the slam and the bench goes wild!!! pic.twitter.com/FGuAljK0bF

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 21, 2026

His brief exchange with awestruck Prairie View A&M forward Hassane Diallo, who is 6-foot-8, became one of the viral moments of March Madness.

For the season, Rioux attempted six shots and made three, including a 1-for-3 effort in the Gators’ tournament opener with two rebounds and an assist. He never played more than three minutes in any game but was a fan favorite in Gainesville, with fans often chanting “Ol-lie” late in games to urge Florida coach Todd Golden to put him in the game.

After the NCAA Tournament game, Rioux talked about trying to show he was a player who could see more significant playing time.

“It’s very important,” Rioux said. “I think I did that today.”

Guiness World Records named Rioux the world’s tallest teenager when he was 7-5 at 16. He became the tallest player to play in a college basketball game when he debuted on Nov. 6 against North Florida.

Rioux is from Quebec but played at IMG Academy, the prep powerhouse in Bradenton, Fla. He held offers from FAU and Stetson before committing to Florida.

College basketball’s transfer portal officially opens on April 7, the day after the national championship game.