Olivier Rioux could only watch Florida’s run to the national title last year.
This time around, the tallest college basketball player ever can forever say that he contributed to whatever this chase of a repeat title ultimately amounts to this March Madness.
The 7-foot-9 redshirt freshman yet again made history Friday night when he both entered and later scored during top-seeded Florida’s 114-55 demolition of 16th-seeded Prairie View A&M in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
Rioux’s teammates and the crowd inside Benchmark International Arena in Tampa erupted when Rioux dunked after securing an offensive rebound with 1:12 remaining.
“It feels amazing,” Rioux told The Athletic.
Rioux arrived to Gainesville for the 2024-25 season to much fanfare due to his jaw-dropping height, but he ultimately sat out the season.
He did provide a viral moment after Florida’s national title triumph over Houston when he cut a piece of the net without needing the help of a ladder.
Rioux finally debuted last November to become the tallest player in the sport’s history, and one month later became the tallest player to ever score in a college basketball game.
Although he only played sparingly this year while setting records, he will now have at least one March Madness memory to forever remember.
Fans reportedly chanted “We want Ollie” while the Gators turned the game into a glorified exhibition, and he entered a 109-47 game with 1:54 remaining.
In a comical moment, the TNT broadcast captured him standing next to the 6-foot-8 Hassane Diallo and the just towering over his opponent.
Rioux missed two shots soon after entering before slamming home a miss.
“I saw a wide-open dunk,” Rioux said, per The Athletic.
His teammates loved seeing Rioux make the most of his chance.
“Just me seeing him being able to step up there, go in there, dunk the ball, make points, it’s really — you could see everybody enjoyed it,” Florida center Rueben Chinyelu said.
“Anytime we get to — anytime we’re playing and we can set up an opportunity to get our guys in, we really do that because that’s what we do because they grind.”
It’s unlikely Florida will find itself in another 50-point blowout against No. 9 Iowa on Saturday, which means Rioux may have played in his final game of the season.
He hopes these small moments allow him to develop into a more effective player for the Gators.
Rioux told The Athletic: “It’s very important. I think I did that today.”
