Tallest college basketball player in history transferring to UC Irvine from Florida
Key takeaways
- 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.
- 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.
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) By Steve Henson Staff Writer Follow May 1, 2026 1:05 PM PT 3 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
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.