At 7 feet, 9 inches, Olivier Rioux is the world’s tallest teen and an intriguing basketball project

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Walking from his flat to classes and past to nan University of Florida’s hoops facility, Olivier Rioux poses for dozens — sometimes hundreds — of pictures a day.

Vertical shots, of course. Rioux won’t fresh successful nan framework immoderate different way.

At 7 feet, 9 inches, Rioux is nan eventual BMOC. He’s really nan Biggest Man On Campus — immoderate campus.

The Florida freshman, a happy-go-lucky Canadian who owns a spot successful nan Guinness grounds book arsenic nan world’s tallest teenager, besides will make hoops history erstwhile he plays for nan 21st-ranked Gators this season. The cheerful feline known arsenic “Oli” will go nan tallest to play assemblage hoops, supplanting 7-foot-7 Kenny George of UNC Asheville (2006-08).

He’s 2 inches taller than erstwhile NBA giants Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol, and 3 inches taller than celebrated large men Yao Ming, Tacko Fall and Shawn Bradley.

“You get asked questions each day,” said Rioux, who likes to tie successful his spare time. “You don’t person a azygous 3 seconds to yourself erstwhile you’re outside, which I was good pinch because my relative and my dada are tall. And, arsenic a family, we utilized to spell out. That’s conscionable really it was, and you can’t alteration that because group are curious.”

His assemblage teammates person gotten utilized to it by now.

“It’s really weird looking up to someone,” said 7-foot-1 halfway Micah Handlogten. “But being astir him conscionable astir each day, it’s conscionable different erstwhile you’re retired successful nationalist pinch him. People usually inquire me, ‘You’re truthful tall. Do you play basketball?’ No 1 says a connection to maine (now). Everyone conscionable looks to him. It’s benignant of crazy. He doesn’t awkward distant from it.”

Rioux really embraces it. He welcomes nan stares, nan questions and each nan requests.

“It does thief to beryllium Canadian,” he quipped. “You conscionable get utilized to it. Talking to group is bully because they are curious, and you can’t alteration that.”

Rioux has worked difficult to hole for Division I basketball, but nary 1 expects him to beryllium a prima astatine this level, surely not correct away. The Gators do expect Rioux to beryllium a instrumentality favorite, opening pinch their play opener against USF connected Monday night. Coach Todd Golden predicts it will beryllium for illustration thing he’s ever experienced, pinch chants for Rioux precocious successful games.

“That 1 we tin spot coming from a mile away,” Golden said. “About 95% of my conversations pinch random group astir our squad are astir him. It’s nan first clip we’ve been classed since 2019 and it’s like, ‘Hey, Coach, we’re really excited to spot Oli retired location this year.’ And I get it, man. He’s a very unsocial individual.”

Rioux grew up successful Terrebonne, Quebec, and realized astatine an early property he was different. He was taller than astir of his teachers successful simple school, crossed nan 6-foot people by property 8 and topped 7 feet nan summertime earlier seventh grade.

His mom is 6-2, dada is 6-8 and his older relative is 6-9.

“At my meemaw’s house, we had nan wall (where) maine and my relative utilized to measurement ourselves. And past 1 day, poof, my relative was gone,” Rioux said, recalling nan time he “officially” outgrew his full family.

Back location successful Canada, Rioux has a number of custom-made items to make life much comfortable, astir notably his bed. On campus, though, he hardly fits diagonally crossed a queen-sized mattress.

He has to duck to get done adjacent each doorway and often hits his head. He wears a size 20 shoe, gets astir of his wardrobe from squad cogwheel and won’t situation thrust a scooter because “I don’t spot myself.” And squeezing into a schoolroom table is much comical than a constituent defender trying to container him out.

He started playing hoops astatine property 5 and ended up astatine IMG Academy successful Sarasota, astir 3 hours southbound of Gainesville, for precocious school. He had offers from UC Irvine and Morehead State but ended up astatine Florida arsenic a preferred walk-on.

He’s 1 of six world players connected Golden’s roster and a clear task contempt having played successful respective FIBA events pinch nan Canadian nationalist team, including nan 2024 U18 FIBA AmeriCup and nan 2023 U19 World Cup.

“The awesome point successful our minds is we deliberation he has imaginable to play astatine immoderate point,” Golden said. “He’s much than conscionable a 7-9 guy. He’s had immoderate really bully moments successful practice, ace coachable and I’m excited for him to get to this constituent adjacent twelvemonth and benignant of spot wherever we’re at.”

Rioux has made strides successful conscionable a fewer months. His mobility and coordination person improved — he tin wrap his limb astir his caput — on pinch his conditioning. Golden still wants him to usage his 305-pound framework to go “more of a butt-kicker” successful nan debased post.

“He has flashes successful believe wherever he’ll make immoderate plays and you’re like, ‘Whoa,’” Golden said. “Like, obviously, we can’t do that pinch anybody else.”

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

He’d for illustration to shape his crippled aft erstwhile Purdue halfway Zach Edey (7-4) and French superstar Victor Wembanyama (7-3), who is presently considered nan golden modular for 7-footers.

“Oh my God,” Rioux gushed.

Most group person nan aforesaid guidance erstwhile seeing Rioux for nan first time. He towers complete teammates and classmates, and conscionable astir each image taken of him goes viral.

“He doesn’t activity nan attention, but he besides doesn’t get irritated astatine nan group that ask,” Handlogten said. “He embraces it because it’s portion of him, and he loves that. If personification comes up and asks for pictures, he’s like, ‘Yeah, of course.’ And he ever has that agleam grin connected his face. It’s awesome.”

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