Florida Gators’ 7-Foot-9 Freshman Basketball Player Is Must-See

The Florida Gators men's basketball team will get to see freshman Olivier Rioux in action this season. The incoming freshman is from Terrebonne, Quebec, Canada, and played high school basketball at IMG Academy.

He is a center, stands at a staggering height of 7-foot-9 and weighs 290 pounds. Yes, his official height is 7-foot-9. Here are some fun facts about Rioux, per the Florida Gators website:

• Guinness World Record holder for tallest teenager, Rioux stood 6-foot-1 at age eight, 6-foot-11 by sixth grade and crossed the 7-foot mark the summer before entering seventh grade.

So, Rioux enters his freshman year at 7-foot-9, and you must see it to believe it.

Just a couple of years ago he was 7-foot-5, then 7-foot-7, and is now 7-foot-9.

A video released on X shows his progression in height and there are some other photos shown of Rioux recently.

Rioux turned 18 years old in February and is going to be an interesting player to watch.

Rioux enters as a three-star prospect per Rivals and other outlets. He did appear in several FIBA events with the Canadian National Team, including the 2024 U18 FIBA AmeriCup and the 2023 U19 World Cup.

It is a sight to see, and the NCAA March Madness X account mentioned he is the tallest college basketball player in history .

Florida's first game is on November 4 against South Florida, and it will be worth watching just to get a glimpse of Olivier Rioux.

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