Tallest college basketball player in history transferring to UC Irvine from Florida
At 7-foot-9, Olivier Rioux follows in the very large footsteps of former UC Irvine center Mamadou Ndiaye, who was 7-6. Rioux announced he will transfer from Florida.
Olivier Rioux of the Florida Gators dunks during the first round of the 2026 NCAA men's basketball tournament in March. (Tyler Schank / NCAA Photos via Getty Images) The tallest player in college basketball history plans to take his long strides from Gainesville, Fla. , to Orange County.
Olivier Rioux , who is 7-foot-9 yet seldom played at Florida, has committed to UC Irvine, he announced on Instagram. His move likely was prompted by the near certainty that he wouldn't crack the Gators' starting lineup next season, either. Florida is expected to be ranked No.
1 entering the 2026-27 season after finishing 27-8 and ranked No. 9 in the final AP poll behind three star players. Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon announced they would return and Rueben Chinyelu is expected to withdraw from the NBA draft and also return.
Rioux, who will be a redshirt sophomore, grew up in Quebec and played at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. , before attending Florida as a preferred walk-on. He appeared in 11 games, scoring seven points, becoming the tallest player to score in a Division I game.