Florida’s 7-Foot-9 Giant Olivier Rioux Makes Head-Turning Transfer Move
Summary
Olivier Rioux, a 7-foot-9 basketball player, transferred from the University of Florida to UC Irvine. He played little at Florida and is now joining a smaller basketball program with a coach experienced in developing very tall players.Key Facts
- Olivier Rioux is 7 feet 9 inches tall and holds a Guinness World Record as the tallest teenager.
- He joined Florida Gators in 2023 but only played 11 games in the 2025–26 season.
- Rioux scored 7 points and had 6 rebounds in 16 total minutes over those games.
- He decided to transfer and chose UC Irvine, announcing this on April 30.
- Florida is a strong basketball program that won a national title in 2025.
- UC Irvine is a smaller school with fewer basketball achievements, last entering the NCAA Tournament in 2019.
- UC Irvine’s coach, Russell Turner, has experience improving very tall players for the NBA.
- Rioux’s move is unusual because players often transfer to bigger programs, but he is moving to a smaller one.
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