7-foot-9 Florida Center Olivier Rioux Makes Historic College Hoops Debut
During halftime of Florida’s decisive victory over Northern Florida, coach Todd Golden heard fans urging him to play redshirt freshman Olivier Rioux. Florida fans had eagerly awaited over a year to see the 7-foot-9 player, the tallest in college basketball history, finally take the court.
Golden responded,
“I said, ‘Listen, it will happen, the time will come.’ I can be stubborn. I don’t listen to direction very well at times, so when they’re yelling at me to do it, it’s kinda like, ‘Well, maybe I’ll wait a little longer.’”
With 2:09 left in the game and the score comfortably in hand, amid “We Want Ollie” chants, Golden gave the green light. Rioux rose from the bench, walked to the scorer’s table, and received a huge reaction from the crowd as he officially became the tallest player ever to appear in college basketball.
He played two minutes for the defending champions in the 104-64 win but did not record any statistics.
“The support from everybody was amazing, even on the bench and even the fans. I think everybody supported, and I’m very grateful.”
Summary
Olivier Rioux’s debut marked a historic moment for college basketball, celebrated by fans and teammates alike, highlighting the anticipation and support surrounding his first appearance.